Garden of Reverie
by KAISRE
Summary: Terra was known to be a strong, yet kind-hearted young man while Xemnas had no qualms about spilling innocent blood to achieve his goals. Aqua is a hunter of the supernatural struggling to draw the line between the two. AU
1. The First Drop in the Ocean

**Rating: **T+ **  
>Genre: <strong>Drama, Supernatural, and Action

* * *

><p>A black liquid splattered across the surface of moonlit asphalt like ink before dissolving into a peculiar black smoke. Though the silence was unnerving and the tension in the air was thick, the heavy breathing of a young woman and the ominous scraping of steel against pavement could be heard through shallow echoes. Silence settled down again only for a few moments before the shadows cast by the moon thickened and writhed of their own accord.<p>

Any witness present would've claimed that the scene that followed afterward was odd but mesmerizing indeed—a strangely shaped sword that would carve ribbons of light into the night air as it was spun and twirled, a glowing silhouette of a giant key that would dissipate into the form of a normal-looking katana when it wasn't being thrust through writhing shadows, the flash of brilliant blue hair, and the third silence that fell when the last wave of shadows were vanquished as if no strange monsters had appeared in the first place.

However, there _were _no witnesses and the mysterious young woman was alone—she made sure of that. Leaning against the deceivingly unimpressive blade, the youth sighed in such a manner that one would think she had merely finished sweeping a living room floor rather than lay to waste a ring of hostile and shapeless creatures.

The young woman turned her eyes upward at the half-moon, brushing back a lock of blue hair. The light revealed that she possessed a pair of delicate cerulean-colored eyes. Blinking once, she dismissed her weapon and left the deserted court through one of the many alleyways of the city.

"Even here…" She murmured to no one in particular but herself. "The Master must know what he's doing..."

-x-X-x-

**I: The First Drop in the Ocean**

-x-X-x-

"Aqua, Aqua, Aqua, Aqua—" an overly dramatic gasp of breath, "—Aqua, Aqua!"

"_Ventus_," the young woman named Aqua, one who was known for her patience and empathy, growled, struggling to remain as patient as humanely possible with the hyperactive blonde bundle of energy. "My alarm is set to ring in half an hour. What do you want?"

"You have to set the coffee maker and make breakfast—" the boy named Ventus whined, his bright blue eyes betrayed no hints of tiredness. "I know, I know… You don't have to tell me that I'm fifteen and that I can cook for myself _and_ that I don't need you to wake up early and stuff."

"Good, Ven," she mumbled. "I _don't _have to tell you."

"But!" He went on shamelessly, "Coffee is only good when you make it and we're out of orange juice and I always burn the eggs and you always tell me it's a waste and I feel bad—"

"Ven."

"—and today's the first day of school, well only for us anyways, _so you have to wake up early and not be late!_"

The bluenette gave in and squeezed her pillow one last time for the day before rising up to taste the sunshine. "Okay… But just watch, I'm going to have to be the one to drag you out of bed in a week."

"Not true," he disagreed, watching his adoptive sister stumble on her way to the kitchen. "Wow Aqua… you don't look so good. You must really, _really_ be tired."

"Really now?" She retorted, but in good humor as she flashed him one of her reassuring smiles. "I just have to get back into it. Don't worry about me."

Ven didn't allow himself to be convinced so easily. He crossed his arms and tapped his foot, imitating one of Aqua's trademark poses. "Maybe you should get a day or summer job instead like normal people."

"I'm normal." Aqua rolled her eyes and ruffled her little brother's hair when he joined her. "I said don't worry, that's my job too. Someone has to put food on the table and you're definitely too young."

"Only by a year," Ven muttered under his breath. Aqua heard him but pretended not to notice. "At least ask the restaurant that you want less hours, please…" He pleaded, gazing up at her with those sickeningly cute eyes of his.

Ventus didn't notice the flicker of guilt that appeared for a split second in Aqua's eyes. _A restaurant, right… _"I'll try, but I can't make any promises. Now instead of worrying your little head off, go gather all the ingredients for me while I shower. Don't worry, you don't have to cook any of them."

Ven nodded and Aqua felt relieved for the momentary distraction. After fixing up the coffee maker, Aqua made her way to the single bathroom in the apartment the two of them lived in.

"Oh and Aqua…?"

"Hm?" She hummed back in response before entering.

"Stop being such a total girl. You don't need to take two showers a day."

Aqua laughed, though the smile didn't reach her eyes. If only Ven knew… But then again, it was better that he didn't.

-x-X-x-

After walking Ven to his first class much to the younger one's dismay, Aqua reminded him to have fun but behave, and not to mention her "night job" to anyone, no matter who, because no one would ever let her live it down if she ever had the misfortune to meet them. Ven seemed to understand and agreed, that's when the elder adopted sibling left the other to his own devices.

She smiled to herself, knowing Ven to be the bright and happy social butterfly that he was. He was past his awkward zombie phases, and all that needed to be done was throw him out a figurative window and let him spread his equally figurative wings on his own. Unfortunately, Aqua wasn't so confident in herself. She loved meeting new people, but that wasn't enough to suppress her worry and nervousness when it came to foreign territory, especially in a school as big as this one.

To add on to her growing anxiety, her first class was across the school, much to her inconvenience. Aqua quickly memorized the room number and repeated it within her mind with every forceful step she took. She couldn't be late to her first class on her first day of school—she couldn't let her parents down now.

The bell rung when Aqua set foot in the classroom. She hoped it wouldn't be held against her as she made way to the teacher's desk. Said teacher was wearing a painfully white lab coat over a pale blue shirt. Come to think of it, the classroom was more of a lab than a typical classroom. After that fleeting thought, Aqua mentally slapped herself when she reminded herself that she was attending an AP Biology class.

"Yes…?" A drawling voice pulled her back to reality.

Aqua blinked quickly. "Hi, I'm Aqua… I'm new here so I'm wondering if there's a seating chart or if there's just a desk you want me to stay at for now…" She trailed off, not sure where she was getting at.

The teacher checked the class roster with heavy-lidded eyes as he twirled his long blonde hair with his free hand. He puckered his already small-set mouth as he adjusted his glasses. Aqua tried not to think about how peculiar he appeared.

"Ah, yes, yes… Aqua is it? Take a seat at that desk over there." Aqua followed his hand which pointed at a desk singled out from the others placed in the front of the room. She sighed inwardly. "I am Professor Even. It's a pleasure to meet you, Aqua."

The young woman smiled and bowed her head quickly but politely. "It's nice to meet you too, Professor."

The professor nodded nonchalantly as Aqua left him for her assigned seat. By then, everyone had settled down and chatter died down along with that. Aqua tried her best not to falter when she sensed many pairs of eyes fixing themselves on her as she sat back, clinging to her bag.

_Don't look up, don't look up, don't look up…_

"Hey it's a new girl!" A male voice called out from the back of the classroom. There were a few giggles at the sudden outburst. Aqua tried her best to hide the color that rose to her cheeks as she defied her mantra and looked up.

"Quiet, Mr. Fair," Professor Even snapped as he rose from his desk and walked to the front of the classroom as if he were in no rush. "Not everyone appreciates your juvenile antics and unneeded commentary."

The young man who spoke up wasn't paying attention to his teacher's words however when he winked at Aqua who flushed even more, quick to give him a small smile in response. He laughed back, though not cruelly, when he nudged the person who sat next to him and gestured towards her with his chin. Briefly observing them, the two students shared similar hairstyles, though the first had hair as black as night while the other's was as brown as wet earth. The second student discreetly waved at her. Unsure of what else to do, Aqua smiled tentatively again at them both before the professor gestured for her to join him in front of the class.

"As Zack kindly pointed out, we do indeed have a new student. Do you mind introducing yourself?"

Aqua put on the most welcoming smile she could muster. "Hi, my name's Aqua. It's nice to meet you." The line came out steady, less could be said for her stomach. She mentally slapped herself again, reminding herself that she's been through much more challenging situations. She spared Professor Even a glance, wondering if she was supposed to go on.

Professor Even clicked his tongue as he traced a pale finger down his clipboard. "Today we'll be continuing the enzyme catalysis lab from where we left off on Friday. Is there anyone who is without a lab partner for today?" He gestured expectantly at Aqua who tried her best not to shuffle her feet.

The student named Zack raised his hand, if a bit too eagerly Aqua noticed. "Ooh, me! Cloud isn't here today again so Aqua can be my partner. How about that?" The last question was aimed at the student and not the teacher. Aqua found herself laughing lightly, shrugging.

The professor looked skeptical, frowning deeply with his eyebrows raised. "I think not." He pointed at the brunette who sat beside Zack. "Terra, as for today, you'll be Zack's partner to keep him in line. I won't be having him corrupting my newest student. Tifa, you will brief Aqua on the experiment. I trust that you're comfortable with the assignment."

Two out of three of the students appeared mortified. The third, a dark-haired girl with matching irises named Tifa, smiled pleasantly, much to Aqua's relief.

"Hey, it's nice to meet you," the girl said, holding out a gloved hand when the other approached the table. Aqua returned the gesture and set her bag down, taking an empty seat.

"Nice to meet you too." She couldn't help but notice that while most of the other students were no longer interested in the new addition to the classroom, the two boys named Zack and Terra continued to stare at her.

Tifa began setting up whatever experiment that needed to be done and the classroom was filled with the sounds of scraping wood and the delicate clinking of glass. "So what grade are you in? Are you new to the school or just this class?"

"I'm a junior," Aqua answered, glad that she was given the chance to hold a conversation. "And I'm new to the school—today's my first day."

"Thought so, most people are smart enough not to transfer here if they didn't sign up for the class in the first place." She pursed her lips and nodded towards Zack. "You don't seem like someone like him, so it must be the other reason."

Zack leaned over, grinning. "Hey, don't let the _professor_ catch you talking like that. You're his favorite."

Tifa scoffed, crossing her arms. "Just because you're his least favorite, doesn't make everyone else his most favorite."

Zack pouted and Aqua couldn't help but think of Ven. She wondered how the other was doing. "Hey, Terra is just as bad as I am—he just doesn't get caught as much. I don't see you ever giving him a hard time."

Tifa opened her mouth to reply but Aqua spoke up first. "Hey, how about you guys? What grade are you in?"

"Juniors all the way." Zack was the one to reply. He nodded approvingly. "Oh, by the way I'm Zack. And this—" He grabbed his friend, the same friend who waved at her, by the arm to join the rough triangle the three of them formed. "—This, my lady, is Terra."

"I'm sure she knows by now," Terra said as he brushed the other off. He appeared exasperated but she could clearly tell there was more amusement than annoyance in his expression. Terra extended a hand either way. Aqua took it and she couldn't help but notice how rough yet warm they were. "I hope you'll enjoy the class as much as we do."

"Sure thing," she replied, letting go. Her eyes traveled from Tifa, to Zack, to Terra. _They all have such strong hearts…_ Aqua thought, mildly surprised. The light within Zack seemed to be the brightest. At first, it seemed that Terra was just as bright, but when she looked closer, she found that the brunette was impossible to read accurately—something unknown was hindering her senses.

_That's strange… it's even stranger to find three strong hearts side by side like this._

Aqua brushed the thought away for another time. She was in school now, and she needed to focus on her priorities.

"Well, Aqua, if you ever need someone to walk you to your next class and guide you around, then I'm game," Zack offered, a corner of his mouth lifting in a crooked smile.

Tifa threw a pen at him as she prepared a vial. "I trust Terra more on that one. Terra, you go with him."

"I don't mind. Do you, Aqua?"

However, the new student didn't hear him since her attention was focused on Tifa's actions. "Ah, that's the first sample of amino acid, isn't it?" She asked, pointing at something on the lab directions. "I think just two drops of lemon juice will do the trick." Tifa was just about to squeeze in a third drop. "The ratio has to be kept 3:1 so too much will denature the enzyme… Is there something wrong?"

Tifa looked surprised, Zack sloppily made a grab for one of the test tubes, and Terra was laughing quietly to himself. In the background, someone complained that nothing was happening, many others followed suite.

-x-X-x-

Zack and Terra took it upon themselves to guide Aqua to her next class, Physical Education. Conveniently, it was another hour the three would share together. Aqua thought it to be a rather expendable class, but she kept that opinion to herself when she felt the excitement radiate from the two.

_Oh boys these days… _Aqua couldn't help but smile a little, fully aware of why exactly two young men of their age could be so excited over something she deemed trivial and even superfluous.

Everyone was given three laps to run before resting up and heading for the weight room for training. Unsurprisingly, Zack and Terra were amongst the first to finish. However, no one failed to notice that they were accompanied by the new girl who only had the faintest of color gathering in her cheeks despite the fact she had matched the other two in sprinting. She was offering the two water while they sat on the ground, panting like dogs.

It turned out that Zack was given an extra set of laps around the track due to a missed day a couple weeks back. As a result, Aqua was left in Terra's company and they both left for the weight room. She felt sorry for him but Terra reassured her that the other wasn't the type to turn down a challenge.

"He'll be fine—he likes showing off anyway. So where are you from? I never got to ask you that back at the lab."

"Oh…" Aqua waved her hand. "Not very far. Just a small town east of here. My parents sent me and my brother here to the city because they thought it'd be better for our education."

"Oh really, huh? Well, you already seem pretty smart. I never saw Zack try to squeeze out answers for our labs from anyone but me or Tifa before."

She flushed slightly at the compliment, it probably didn't even mean anything. "He doesn't seem to like the class at all, though. Is it okay for me to ask why he signed up for it?"

Terra shrugged. "Eh, probably just for the credit. He underestimated the professor and I bet he's regretting it big time, even now." He sighed, rubbing the back of his head and casting fleeting looks at her. "Speaking of Zack, I'm sorry about the way he acts. It's just a little embarrassing to be honest… but he's a decent guy. I mean—" his mouth twitched. "—not everyone is my best friend after all."

Aqua laughed softly. "It's no problem. He seems sweet enough—" she was interrupted by a shrill cry sounding from the weight room. The two of them exchanged looks before rushing to see what was the problem.

Wrenching the door open, Aqua found a single petite-looking girl glowering at a pile of weights left on the floor of the room. Seeing that no one was hurt, the pair of juniors let out a breath.

Terra raised an eyebrow. "What's a freshman doing here?"

The girl turned her head to glare at them both with big, dark eyes. Aqua noticed that a black headband was tied around her forehead, partially covered by her short black hair. She stomped over and poked Terra in the chest, clearly unafraid despite the height and age difference. "For your information, I'm a _sophomore_ and my name's Yuffie, so shut your trap."

Terra's eye twitched. "Hey—"

"We heard a scream," Aqua cut over him has politely as possible, determined not to let things get out of hand over something like… actually she wasn't even sure where the hostility was coming from. "Is everything okay here?"

The sophomore named Yuffie narrowed her eyes as she studied Aqua up and down. "Never seen you around before. You new here? Anyways, look lady, that wasn't a scream. The Great Yuffie never screams—it was just an expression of _displeasure_ at the mess those idiots left behind. So no, everything is not okay." She pointed over her shoulder with a thumb before throwing both of her arms into the air. "Screw it! I don't care what my teacher says about cleaning duty. I'm here to kick butt, not clean up after a bunch of slobs. You two are big, strong uppclassmen, aren't you? Get the rest of your class to clean up 'cause I'm out of here." With that, the girl stormed out of the room, muttering something about stupid football players and leaving both Aqua and Terra in silence.

"She's definitely a freshman," Terra quipped.

"Well, we might as well…" Aqua murmured, looking around at the scattered weights. "The teacher wanted us to help set things up while everyone else finished."

Terra nodded and picked up two dumbbells, two out of many that remained scattered throughout the room. This was going to be much more troublesome than he anticipated. He turned to Aqua. "No wonder she was so—_Aqua, those are fifty-pounds!_"

Aqua flinched and dropped the bar that went with the nearest bench press. All hundred pounds hit the floor with a deafening _thunk_. A stream of apologies left her lips as the poor girl dropped to the floor to inspect the damage she just caused.

However, Terra wasn't staring because of that. What confounded him was the fact that Aqua just lifted a full hundred pounds with a _single arm_.

"No dent. Whew…" Aqua wiped her brow. She inspected the bar. "Hey, these are twenty-five, not fifty you silly goose. Good thing for that, huh?"

Terra blinked, wiping the dumbfounded expression off his face. Twenty-five… twenty-five wasn't so bad. After all, a hundred was simply ridiculous… Aqua didn't even realize a thing until he called out.

"Oh, right. Let's hurry before the others get here."

-x-X-x-

Ancient History was the third class of the day and coincidentally the third class she shared with her newest acquaintance. Terra laughed it off, accompanying her with no hint of inconvenience or bother he might've been feeling. His company helped her relax a bit, yet she couldn't help but feel a nagging insecurity and suspicion that this would only be temporary.

_Suspicion is unlike you. So what's bothering you? What happened to the strong and bold Aqua?_

To be honest with herself, she wasn't sure.

An hour long lecture that followed after the bell didn't leave much room for small talk between Aqua and anyone else who was willing to get to know the new student. The sixteen-year-old was one for bookwork but even she found the constant droning of their instructor tiring and redundant.

Fine Arts was the fourth and last class of the day before lunch. Terra had to leave her then, muttering why he had to have two of his least favorite classes side-by-side. Aqua understood that he had his own classes to attend before preparing to walk alone towards her own before Tifa showed up again and offered to accompany her, saying that she had a friend she needed to meet up with anyway.

Anyone familiar with the bluenette would've received the impression that she was quite competent when it came to books and academics, but art was no forte of hers. Of course, Aqua thought of herself to be someone who was flexible and well-rounded, so she didn't mind the challenge.

However, what she _did_ mind was having to sketch out a portrait of the girl in front of her as her first assignment. She stifled a groan as she attempted to wipe charcoal off her fingers before returning to her drawing. It was pitiful—the hair wasn't nearly as smooth as she wanted it to be and it was nigh impossible to draw out the individual strands with the blunt tip of her charcoal. She was ready to start over when she felt the other girl's gaze settling upon her. Resisting the urge to hide her shame of a portrait, Aqua looked up expectantly.

"You don't have to worry about each strand of hair," the girl suggested gently. Aqua remembered that her name was Kairi according to the teacher who introduced them when he seated her. "It's charcoal so just think of impressions rather than the small details."

Aqua smiled appreciatively. That made more sense with the stub of black mess she was clutching in her right hand. Looking back down, she noticed the other's drawing. "Oh, you're really good," she commented. "It's much better than mine."

Kairi shook her head, but she was smiling as well. "Not even. You're pretty good too." She shrugged her small shoulders. "But thank you, my cousin helps me out a lot when it comes to projects." She pointed towards a spot behind Aqua and the older student turned to look.

In the corner of the room next to the teacher's desk was a girl wearing a white dress over a pair of khakis. She appeared to be the same age as Kairi and Aqua could see the resemblance despite the stark contrast in hair color. The girl had platinum-blonde hair pushed over one shoulder while Kairi's was a deep red. She didn't seem to notice the pair of girls observing her from the table they shared as she remained bent over a drawing pad while sitting on a stool.

"How come she's just sitting there alone?" Aqua asked.

Kairi shrugged again. "She's the teacher's assistant and she doesn't talk much. Sometimes she spends her free time over here with me though. I guess she likes it better when she can draw in peace. I mean, a lot of people are like that so it's nothing weird. Oh, her name's Namine if you're wondering."

"That's a pretty name," Aqua thought aloud and Kairi giggled. She looked down for real before checking the time. "Oh no, there's no way I can finish this before the bell." She seemed genuinely worried.

"That's okay, we're normally given three days to finish an assignment," Kairi said. "That's how it's always is here. Well, how do you like the school so far?"

Aqua briefly thought about her answer as she switched out her charcoal for a softer one to fill out the shadows. "The campus is pretty big—I think I like it. I've met some nice people along the way too."

"Who? Maybe I know them."

"I met three in my first class—Tifa, Zack, and Terra. Ancient History didn't give me much of a chance to get to know anyone else though."

"Oh, you're a junior? Well you should join me and my friends for lunch if you don't have any plans." She stuck out a tongue, "you don't want to spend your first lunch with a whole bunch of guys. I think Axel and the others hang out with their group too."

Aqua was bemused. "Zack's quite the cavalier but he isn't too bad, neither is Terra. I only just met them though."

"Zack's crazy, I dunno what the other girls see in him. I guess it just depends on who you ask though. For example, it's funny how some people are absolutely scared of Terra, but he's a really nice guy. He's helped me out a few times and he's always holding the door open for someone. Still, I say you join us. My friends are super nice—I'm sure they would love to meet you."

Aqua giggled along with her when she pictured the two in her mind. Yeah, they _would_ be like that. She returned to the drawing, smiling warmly to herself. It wouldn't hurt a bit to take Kairi up on her offer since it's not like the others brought up the issue of who she would sit with during lunch. "Sure, sounds great."

With the two of them returning to their work, neither of them noticed the girl named Namine fixing her pale blue eyes on the back of Aqua's head, clearly interested in something none of them were aware of. She slid a worn brown crayon into the box before grabbing a deep blue one. Sighing softly, the young girl began a new picture.

-x-X-x-

The end of the day came quicker than she imagined. Everything grew easier after Kairi insisted that they spend lunch together again and that they _needed_ to hang out after school someday soon.

Aqua was waiting near the flagpole situated in front of the parking lot. She sent a text message to Ven telling him to meet her here where the car was.

After five minutes, she was ready to call the other and demand that he get here _now_ before she got sunburn but a burst of laughter interrupted her train of thought.

_Yep, that's definitely him I hear_.

She turned around to wave for the other to hurry up, but her hand stopped halfway into the air.

"Huh, really now? That's crazy."

"I know right? Who would've—Oh hey, Aqua!" Ven called to her. Some students stared for a few moments as they passed by. "This is Terra, he's in my math class."

"We've met," Terra said, clearly amused. He smirked as he stuck his hands into his pockets, leaning back. "You never told me you guys were related. I mean, I noticed you were both new but you two don't look the least alike."

Ven stuck out his tongue as he joined Aqua by her side. "That's because we're not related, but we might as well be, right, Aqua? She's still my sister afterall."

"Of course, you. And great, now I have two boys to deal with," she joked. "What were you guys even talking about?"

"Oh!" Ventus jumped. "Aqua you wouldn't believe it—So you know this guy, Roxas? I swear he looks exactly like me with blonde hair and blue eyes. We're even in the same grade and everything—!"

"Nevermind, you can tell me on the way home." Aqua decided to take preventative measures by grabbing him by the shoulders and turning him around to steer him towards their car. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at their mutual acquaintance. "Thanks for showing me around and keeping Ven company. Tell the others I said bye if you get the chance, okay?"

Terra nodded and gave her a single wave. "Will do. You have a ride home?"

"Yeah—" she nodded towards a silver Toyota parked not too far away. "—see you in biology tomorrow."

"Same here. Bye Aqua, Ventus."

"It's Ven!" The blonde reminded him. "But bye, Terra!"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: **__Whew, how's that for an introduction? I had more in mind but I decided to cap this at 5000 words. Not all the characters were even mentioned yet. More will be introduced soon, either next chapter or throughout the entire story. It was surprisingly hard to grade this many characters since you know, the Aqua, Ventus, and Terra are like 10-11 years older than Sora, Riku, and Kairi. Needless to say, ages are not canon. Before I forget, I wanted to make it clear that the students have a seven-class schedule with semesters (I will be a junior soon in my own highschool which has a 5-class schedule with trimesters instead of semesters. Yes, we have to take finals three times a year -_-). I'll be explaining the AU further on when the need arises._

_As for shipping, I'm a bit of a TerraAqua fan but I like giving other characters love too D: I'm neutral on every other shipping and maybe you guys can take advantage of that ;). I want to focus on individual character development as well, but that doesn't mean I can't slip a bit of romance here and there. We'll see, what do you guys think?_

_I'm also bad at names so almost everyone will be going without a last name. In my head, I imagine the setting to be an AU Radient Garden and a highschool with a matching name, but that doesn't seem very creative does it? I'd love to hear your suggestions. Org 13 names will also vary between Nobody and Somebody names, depending on the character._

_This is my first serious attempt at writing Kingdom Hearts and its been a while since I've written anything for this genre. In other words, this story is sort of experimental (I apologize for any Oocness. I hope I can get better at that) If you guys are interested in me continuing, I would appreciate your reviews, they're very encouraging._


	2. Onus

"_Aqua, before you go… There's something I must tell you."_

-x-X-x-

**II: Onus**

-x-X-x-

Day three was just another pleasant day in the middle of September. Ven rolled down the window to enjoy the morning breeze, not caring that his messy blonde hair was further ruffled by the wind. Aqua cast him an odd look as she maneuvered them out of the neighborhood.

"Aren't you cold, Ven?"

"Nu-uh. It gets stuffy in here when you leave the windows closed."

Aqua accepted that as a suitable answer. "So… Have you made any new friends yet? Well, besides Terra I mean."

"Yeah, of course!" Ven nodded and started counting people off with his fingers while reciting their names and giving each a brief description. "…Oh and don't forget Roxas too. He was just as surprised as I was when Sora introduced us. He even invited me to sign up for the track team and hang out afterschool today if that's all right with you—oh, hold on. Someone just sent me something."

Aqua observed him from the corner of her eye as he pulled out his cellphone. His thumb stretched left and right over the number pad before he stiffened and noticeably paled.

"Ven? What's wrong?" She asked him, concerned with his sudden change in demeanor.

Ven made a move to put away his phone but stopped, opting to clutch it tightly in his right hand instead. "Never… never mind about afterschool today, Aqua."

-x-X-x-

The hours that passed before he finally got the chance to meet up with the group were long and torturous despite the fact that he only knew these people for two days. However, he didn't care what the others would think if they knew how and why he was acting like this.

He practically tossed his backpack under the nearest chair where they normally met during lunch. Ventus looked around before settling in his seat, confirming that they were one person short.

"What happened?" It was all he had to say when he looked up to meet Sora's equally troubled gaze.

Sora scratched his head and looked nervously behind him towards a young man with flaming red hair. Ventus noticed he was donned in all black with a tight-fitting top and matching pair of jeans. His back was to them when he shifted his weight onto his other foot. Aside from that, he remained perfectly still as if he were patiently waiting for someone.

"Axel was the only one who was there and he's taking it harder than everyone else. We all told him that it wasn't his fault but he's still really upset about it… He won't tell us much."

Ventus looked down, biting his lip. "And Roxas…?"

His friend laid his head down against the table. "Our parents said that he's just in the hospital for a couple of broken ribs and a concussion, but he woke up… So it shouldn't be that bad right? Roxas will probably come back in a couple of days. Still…" Sora sighed dejectedly and Ventus found that concern didn't go well with his vividly blue eyes. "…Axel won't come out of his corner and talk to us. I think he blames himself for whatever happened."

"Um…" Ventus started, unsure of how to voice his question. "You don't think they… you know, got into a fight, do you?"

"A fight?" Sora blinked, bemused. He leaned his head against a hand while tapping the lunch table with his other. "Those two are totally the types to play rough with each other… But they're sort of inseparable. Everyone at this school knows that. No way Axel laid a hand on Roxas. The poor guy does seem a little banged up too now that you mention it…"

The two were quiet again as they continued to stare at the upperclassman, still concerned about his well-being—but as they waited for Riku to return with the ice cream, they accepted in silence that there wasn't much they could do for the two of them… for now anyway.

-x-X-x-

"Can't believe everyone wants to spend their time outside on a day like this."

"How can you be surprised, Selphie?" Kairi laughed, setting her bag down under the usual tree. She waved a finger playfully. "This is probably the first day in months where it hasn't been scorching hot. Shame it is getting crowded though… I hope no one takes our spot."

"I can stay here," Aqua offered, settling down to sit between two gnarled roots that served as a surprisingly comfortable resting spot. "So you girls should probably get in line before it gets too long."

"Aw, but what about your lunch?" Selphie asked, setting his bag down next to Kairi's.

Aqua shook her head and made a shooing motion with her hand. "Not hungry today. Besides, I still have some work left over from Calc'. Now hurry up and go."

Selphie left and Kairi was about to follow before hesitating. She withdrew a messily folded sheet of paper and handed it to Aqua who accepted it, mildly bewildered. "It's from Namine," Kairi explained, sounding just as confused as she was. "She wanted me to give it to you after class. Don't worry, I didn't peek at it!" With that, the redhead ran off to join her friend in line.

"A note?" Aqua wondered allowed, beginning to unfold the thick paper. "No… it's drawing paper—ah." Her brow furrowed in confusion as she tried to discern the mess of brown and red on the surface of the paper. Crayon shavings still clung to some of the strokes and Aqua gently brushed them away. It appeared that the drawing was rushed, or just deliberately put together poorly. Either way, it took Aqua several minutes to realize she was looking at some sort or wolf or dog… or maybe it was a bull because it had horns. Big horns. Surrounding the horned wolf/bull/beast thing were rigid scribbles of red, orange, and yellow which Aqua guessed was fire.

_Maybe Kairi made a mistake. Why would that girl give me this? I've never even spoken to her before…_

"Nice picture, you draw that yourself?" Came a snide voice from above. Aqua gasped and quickly folded the paper back in half. She looked up, wondering who in the world would be spying on her from a tree branch.

She narrowed her eyes, finding no one except a rather large black raven perched on one of the branches that hung directly above her. It did nothing but shuffle its wings and preen its feathers; that was when Aqua noticed the narrow red eyes leering down at her. Next came the unmistakable scent of darkness leaking from the creature itself and right in front of—

"I'm right here, smart one," sneered the same voice. Aqua scowled at the teenage boy who now stood before her, leering at her with unnervingly yellow eyes and a sharp grin to match.

"I'm sorry," Aqua said coldly, not feeling very sorry at all. "Do you need something from me?"

"From you? Psh, yeah right." He suddenly slammed a hand against the trunk of the tree but Aqua refused to let herself be swayed by this person. The strange boy towered over her as she brushed pieces of bark off the top of her head, unperturbed. "But I think you might have an idea why I'm here."

_What's this guy's problem? _"First off, I don't even know you and I don't plan to change that. Second, I'm not in the mood for this so leave me alone."

The dark-haired boy leaned back, moaning in mock sorrow. "Aw, are you worried about your little bro and his friend?"

It was Aqua's turn to cast her shadow over the other when she suddenly stood up, stepping forward to glare down at the boy. "What do you know?" She demanded quietly.

A wider grin proved that he wasn't intimidated by the threatening air the young woman suddenly assumed. "Even though you're close to the light, you can still sense it, can't you?"

Aqua's eyes widened as she stepped away from the boy. The surprise on her face vanished as quickly as it came, only to be replaced by fresh anger and suspicion. "I don't know what you're talking about but whatever put Ventus's friend in the hospital last night—you know something about it, don't you?"

"Maybe," he replied carelessly, picking out the dirt from under his fingernails. "Of course I can tell you what you want to know if I feel like it—" He grabbed her by the wrist before she even had a second to react. "—but I think I'd rather not. Information doesn't come free; I hope you understand." He squeezed and Aqua went rigid as a strange fear and feeling of helplessness coursed throughout her entire being, eating at her thoughts and vision. Fear dominated her senses as well as her initial confusion. The only thought that remained in her mind told her she needed to get away, and fast.

"L-let go—!" She gasped, finding it hard to breath all of a sudden.

Yellow orbs drilled gaping black holes in her vision as she struggled to remain steady. They dug deeper and deeper until—

"Let _go_ of her!" A brief moment of surprise split the boy's smug expression as he was seized back by the shoulder and brutally thrown to the side. He growled and turned around, only to face a very pissed-off Terra.

The black-haired boy narrowed his eyes in annoyance before his mouth split into another arrogant grin. "What's wrong? Wanna try and come at me in front of everyone?"

Aqua could sense the anger radiate off her companion but something told her that there was more that fueled the hatred in his eyes than the encounter she just had with the stranger. For a moment, Aqua understood why some one would find this person intimidating when she thought back on what Kairi said.

"Leave her alone. Leave _all _of us alone."

The boy tilted his head, false regret crossing his face. "Oh, did I hurt you, Aqua? I had no idea you were so _delicate_…" He gave a bow as sincere as his expression. "I'll offer you this for an apology: you can't hide behind your friends forever, and neither can Ventus." He gave her one last smile before turning away, leaving the two alone. Those who noticed the scene and decided to stare quickly returned to their own business when they caught sight of the fuming Terra.

Aqua rubbed her wrist, thinking deeply. _How does he know my name? How does he know Ventus?_

"You okay, Aqua?" Terra was now beside her, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Why did he grab you like that?"

She shrugged, feeling numb after experiencing such a sudden burst in emotion. "I'm… yeah I'm okay."

"How do you know him?"

Aqua frowned and looked towards where he just left. "I don't… Who _is_ that kid?"

"Vanitas," Terra replied, muttering the name with ill-disguised contempt. "I was just passing by and well… Are you sure you're fine?"

"Thank you, Terra. I'm fine, and you didn't have to step in like that… But thank you anyway." Aqua sighed, feeling slightly embarrassed. Had it been anyone else who dared to lay a hand on her, him or her would've found themselves face-down on the ground in a matter of seconds. However, something stopped Aqua from responding appropriately and whatever it was almost… _almost_ scared her.

She looked up. The oversized raven from before was gone and so was the scent of raw darkness.

_That fear… where did it come from?_

-x-X-x-

Aqua set down her third mug of coffee for the day with a distinctive _clink_. She sighed and rubbed her eye with the front of her hand as she struggled to fabricate a satisfactory thesis about human motivation and aspirations for Professor Ansem's latest assignment. She briefly reconsidered taking a less demanding elective, but the subject matter caught her interest and that was enough for her to commit to the class despite the workload.

Ven was sitting on the opposite end of the couch, flipping through his assigned novel for one last time before shutting it and stuffing it back into his backpack.

"Careful," Aqua hummed meekly without taking her eyes off her Humanities textbook. "No one likes to read a book with its pages all bent." As if to accentuate her point, she flipped a page rather gracefully—if page-flipping can ever be described as graceful—without pinching its corner.

Ven grumbled in response and Aqua didn't expect him to scoot closer to her and plop his blonde mess of a head onto her lap. "Do you have to be absolutely perfect at everything you do?"

"Nope," she answered without much thought, trying to switch her brain back to Humanities mode. "…And you know I'm not perfect anyway. Did you finish all your homework, Ven?"

"Yeah… What are you reading?" He leaned up to take a peek at her book and she squirmed when his elbows dug into her. "Oops, sorry, Aqua." He appeared horrified when he came face-to-face with a wall of text. "Oh, ew… never mind; I don't want to know. Why are you taking all the hard and boring classes?"

"Because there's value to hard work." She raised an eyebrow, finally turning her head to look down at him. "You're not worrying still, are you?"

"It's just…" He grumbled again as he turned over, frowning deeply. "Why can't you just take it easy on yourself for once? _I _feel overloaded myself just looking at you."

She ruffled his hair dismissively and he growled. "I promised Mom and Dad that I would do my best in school no matter what. I need to challenge myself, Ven. It's the least I can do for them, after… you know…"

Ventus appeared to droop a little bit and Aqua began to regret mentioning their parents. Suddenly, he asked, "You like Terra… don't you, Aqua?"

That question truly caught her off guard. She tilted her head as she shut her textbook, deciding that that was enough brainstorming for the night. "He's been a good friend to me, why?"

"Then why—?" Ven buried half his face behind folded arms, looking strangely forlorn and distant. "We were talking today and he told me… He told me what you said about Mom and Dad—that they're the ones who made us move here." He gazed up at her with woefully glazed eyes and Aqua felt her chest clench guiltily. Ven didn't need to ask about her sudden discomfort—no questions were needed.

"I… We only just met and I didn't know what else to say. Maybe—" she smiled mirthlessly, "—it's just something I wish were true."

"I get it," Ven said. "But you lied to Terra when he's been so nice—you're Aqua! And Aqua never lies, not to anyone."

Aqua draped one arm over him, pulling him close in a sisterly hug. "It was stupid of me; I'm sorry."

"Nuh," he sniffled into her chest, clinging to her front. "But I miss them, Aqua… I miss Mom and Dad."

Aqua buried her fingers into his hair, staring on. "I know, Ventus; I do too."

"I didn't tell him… Terra, I mean… I didn't tell him about what happened. I didn't want him to misunderstand because I knew you must've had a reason," Ven explained, his voice muffled. "You always have a reason." Aqua said nothing, only nodded.

After a lugubrious moment of silence, Ven slowly pulled away and the older sibling could tell he was trying to compose himself. "You have work tonight?" He asked quietly, already aware of what her answer was.

Aqua nodded again and made a move to get up, taking that as her cue to get ready. However, a hand reached up and grabbed her by the sleeve to keep her from rising completely.

"…It scares me half to death when I think… when I think about losing you too. I can't help but worry." Ven averted his eyes, biting his lip for a moment. "Everyone says strange stuff happens at night, Aqua. What if that's true?"

Aqua bent forward, laying a hand on his head. Ven let go, if a bit reluctantly. "Ven, think about the most capable but careful person you know. Now let's rethink this—do you really believe I would let anything happen to myself? After all, who would be around to keep you out of trouble and deal with your shenanigans?"

Ven couldn't help but grin a little despite himself. "…Yeah."

Aqua was satisfied. "There we go."

-x-X-x-

"_Now remember, don't answer the door for strangers and don't ever invite anyone in unless I'm home."_

"_I know, I know; you tell me a million times a day."_

"_Once a day," Aqua corrected him. Ven only rolled his eyes before pulling the covers over himself._

"_Stay safe, sis."_

Aqua quietly shut the door behind her, locking it from the outside. However, the young woman wasn't finished. Holding up her right palm an inch away from the wood, she murmured a stream of extrinsic words.

"_Fulcio obex—Reprobo res obscurum—"_

A faint glow enveloped her hand before spreading over the door like a shimmering veil. Aqua knew the protection spell wasn't fool-proof no matter what her magical capabilities were. A simple invitation, whether it be verbal or physical, was enough to bypass the protection against beings branded by the influence of darkness. However, it was the most efficient fabrication she could think of—this was the most she could manage without draining her energy to uphold the constant barrier.

The glow faded and she turned away when her work was done, slipping the key safely into her pocket. From the same pocket, she pulled out a peculiar keychain that dangled in her grasp. Hanging from the links was a silver teardrop with a single, sparkling sapphire set in its middle. Aqua closed her eyes as she clutched the charm tightly to her chest, feeling the hidden energy swirl within it like a bout of ocean waves.

_Ven… I'm sorry._

-x-X-x-

"_Aqua, before you go… There's something I must tell you."_

"_What is it, Master?"_

"_There is a reason why you and Ven were brought together. There is a reason why you were chosen to wield the Keyblade. Never forget these words, Aqua—"  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: _**_I wonder what that reason is? I guess there's only one way to find that out : ) kekeke._

_The elements of this AU will be explained throughout the early chapters. I just want to say that my latin is probably incorrect because I used an online translator. If you're wondering why the incantation wasn't in English like in the games, well... you'll see why soon enough. I'll just say that magic and language are closely linked and that the nature of this AU explores the nature of magic more deeply than what you see in canon. As a reminder, this is a supernatural AU, so expect a lot xD_

_Sorry there's no action yet Dx I planned to add in more like last chapter but I found that it was probably a good idea to break here to avoid spending forever on this chapter, Please bear with me._

_Thanks to my beta reader for helping me improve this. Last but not least, thank you, TalkativeWriter4, Terra ForceXIII, MonMonCandie, Regen Mitternacht, and Karura Hime for your feedback :) Once again, please review if you're interested in this story so far, they're very much appreciated!_


	3. Where the Heart Lies

"_You were chosen because of the hidden strength within your heart. You have a duty to this world, Aqua. Protect those you cherish and protect the Light of this world. Our period of harmony is coming to an end and without balance, there is nothing. Do you understand?"_

"_I understand, Master; but may I ask you something? It's about Ven…"_

_The Master's hooded cloak swished around him as he turned his back to her, remaining motionless until he spoke again. "Ventus is a victim of my gravest mistake. I know what you want to ask, Aqua, but now isn't the time for you to know. All that needs to be said is that he needs you."_

_If Aqua felt disappointed with his rebuff, she didn't show it. She only bowed her head in a respectful gesture. "I understand. Ventus is like my brother… no, he _is_ my brother. I'll protect him with my life."_

"_I hope it will not have to come down to that," her master sighed, folding his hands together behind his back. "But you have my blessing."_

-x-X-x-

**III: Where the Heart Lies**

-x-X-x-

"Please… _Please_…" Ragged breaths, pitiful gasps.

A tall figure cloaked in black leaned back against the grungy wall of a deserted alley. He observed the contemptible heap shaking at his feet with cruel amber eyes. Brushing back a length of silver hair, he tilted his head to the side as if he were fascinated by the poor soul's pain. Lifting a single foot, he kicked his victim over to get a good look at that delightfully frightened face.

"I'm afraid I cannot sympathize with the terror you must be the feeling—" His voice was deep but slightly soft with a hint of apology behind those words. However, the regret was nothing more than a façade, a cruel mockery of empathy in the face of another's torment. He smiled. "—the feeling of one's imminent demise. Do not worry, however—your existence won't end here, not entirely. As much as I would love to keep you company, a job must be done."

"No, please—"

A sharp snap filled the alley, prompting a horrible scream as the figure at his feet was engulfed in a mess of inky black tendrils. He snapped his fingers again and a single streak of blood splashed across his front and face. Faint pink light slowly gathered into the shape of a delicate heart, almost beautiful against the mix of fresh gore and absolute darkness. As it slowly floated upwards, a gloved hand reached out to grasp it, extinguishing its faint light.

"It will do."

There was a horrible gurgle and those amber eyes returned to the mess on the ground before him. The writhing shadows retreated to the far corners of the alleyway, leaving behind an abomination that was anything but human. The shadows faded and within seconds, the shapeless creature vanished into the darkness as well, leaving the cloaked man to stand alone, but not for long.

A deep red beam of light illuminated the darkness as sparks suddenly flew from between two clashing blades.

The man leered, his grin and irises lighting up with each burst of light that filled the alley. He drew his weapon back and leaped up to free himself from the confined space while another mysterious hooded figure followed after him, a key-shaped blade of light trailing behind him.

The two unknowns alighted on the nearest roof of a long-abandoned building, running at each other with increased fury. A swirl of dark purple energy burst from the glowing blade but it was quickly extinguished by twin slashes from the two red beams of pure energy.

The other slid back from the force, but spun around in a complete circle to send a mixed wave of black and white light.

The silver-haired man allowed himself a growl when he lifted both weapons to block the attack, falling over the edge in the process. The second cloaked figure wasted no time in diving after him, bringing down his weapon in a mighty swing. The first smirked and pushed himself off the nearest wall with his feet, dodging the attack at the last second. He grabbed the edge of a windowsill and flipped himself over to land back onto the roof, giving himself the higher ground. Lowering his arms, he allowed the glowing red sabers to rest on either side of him and point downwards towards the hooded figure who gazed up at him with masked contempt.

"If only you found me sooner, you could've prevented another casualty," he taunted loftily, leering down at the other. "At this rate, consuming Radiant Garden will be no challenge for me."

"Shut _up_—!" He drew an arm back before thrusting it forward to launch a sphere of swirling dark energy. The orb was deflected effortlessly and sent flying harmlessly into the sky.

"Temper, temper…" The first chided him in an infuriatingly light tone as he waved a single finger. "I wasn't aware that this rather… _unfortunate_ incident would affect you so much."

"You're a despicable monster, Xemnas," the hooded man hissed through clenched teeth, tightening his grip on the hilt of his pulsating weapon.

Dismissing his own weapons, the man called Xemnas brushed a lock of hair behind his ear, uncaring. "Is that what they're calling those of the darkness nowadays?" He slightly raised both hands in a gesture. "Either way, you are mistaken. Why do you hate me so much for trying to regain what I lost a long time ago?" He asked, his voice laced with hurt.

The mysterious man wasn't fooled however. "Stop your act—you don't even care about becoming 'complete'. You're nothing but a remnant of something that should've been destroyed a long time ago."

Xemnas sneered, his expression of sorrow vanishing almost instantly. "You're right about one thing. However—" He vanished in a flurry of white and black streaks. The hooded figure backed off in surprise before making a move to get away but he was too late. He cried out when his arms were seized in a vice-like grip and pinned against his own back. Without a chance to throw the other off, he was slammed against the building wall with his face pressed against the concrete. His weapon clattered to the ground before vanishing in a flash of light, replaced by a strange keychain. Dazed, he could see through his black hood to find the appearance of fresh cracks in the concrete.

"—unlike you, I am _more_ than just a remnant," Xemnas continued with a hiss in his ear. "Tell me, why are you so afraid to show me your face?"

"…" He tried to shake his captor off, but to no avail.

Xemnas smirked when he noticed he struck a nerve. He loosened his grip only to throw his captive to the side. The other grunted when he hit the ground and skidded for yards on his back.

Xemnas approached him slowly, gazing down at him with his eyes that were devoid of any kind of empathy and remorse. He laid a hand over his own chest as he spoke, "I am not just a remnant when I am bound by this fool's pathetic tendencies for compassion." He spat, genuinely disgusted.

"W-what?" He began to rise but a boot slammed him back into the ground. He gasped and gripped onto the leg that threatened to crush his ribs and suffocate him.

"Tell me, you foolish child, why are you so eager to take up the sword and fight me?"

Teeth grinded as he spat out an answer. "So my best friend doesn't have to! You're…" He struggled. "You're not even worth it."

"Oh?" Xemnas sent him a single kick before withdrawing his foot. He watched as his own enemy rolled over with labored breaths, grasping his chest in pain. "Is that what this is about? Are you sure you're not just _jealous_ of that dearest friend of yours? It would explain why you 'borrowed' his power to compensate for your own worthless darkness, Riku… It's Riku, isn't it?"

The heaving stopped when Riku froze. The hood hid his features for the most part, but Xemnas could imagine a look of inkling horror finding its way onto his face.

Instead of denying the assumption or answering his questions, Riku remained silent as he stood up wearily. Several moments passed as he glared at his opponent in an attempt to stare him down. Finally, "…You laid a hand on Sora's friend. What did you do to Roxas?"

Xemnas narrowed his eyes slightly, betraying no other emotion. "Maybe you should think matters through with that thick skull of yours before you pick fights you cannot win. I don't recall wasting my time on such trivial matters."

"_Liar!_" Riku roared, re-summoning his weapon as he threw himself towards the other.

Once again, the younger one was pressed against the ground within seconds, this time on his front. "Tch—" he hissed as a golden iris flashed in anger through the shadow of his hood.

Xemnas only chuckled, his deep voice rumbling within his chest. He dug his fingers into the scalp hidden under the leather cover, relishing the growl of discomfort that followed. Summoning tendrils of darkness to bind him in place, he leaned in to whisper into his ear. "I assure you, I doubt a boy would be around to tell the tale if I had any business with him." He gripped harder, wrenching his head back. "Now enough of that… How does it feel to have a part of me within you?"

It was Riku's turn to laugh, even if it was a bit difficult considering the position he was in. "Don't even get the idea that I might be anything like _you_." He bared his teeth. "You're a remnant, a demon, and no matter what you call yourself, it's still the same in the end—you don't belong here, so go back to the darkness where you belong."

"Is that what you sincerely believe?" Xemnas questioned. "Quite a rebellious tongue you have there. I can say the same about you, but don't get me wrong; the matter of belonging won't be an issue in due time." He stood up and turned his back on him, extending his hand to summon a doorway of swirling darkness.

Riku ripped his arm free and reached outwards, sending one last desperate attack his way. Xemnas made no move to dodge it when the feeble attack grazed his jaw, leaving behind a single red line. He looked over his shoulder with distaste, wiping the trickle of blood away with the back of his glove.

"As annoying as you are, I find no need to eliminate you from the equation just yet," he said. "Remember, Riku… Everything you are, everything you possess, is borrowed. I'll be coming to collect." He tilted his head thoughtfully. "Eventually." With that, he vanished into the portal and Riku's bindings disappeared along with him.

Sitting up and shaking slightly, Riku's fists tightened before he brutally slammed them into the nearest surface. Cracks appeared beneath his knuckles and Riku knew he broke skin, but that was the least of his worries.

The very being he had been carefully tracking down for almost a year now vanished before him and he was powerless to stop him. He cried out in utter frustration before glaring down at his own hands.

_If only I was stronger… Right now I'm unworthy of the Keyblade._

Riku shook his head and slowly got up to his feet. Summoning the weapon, he readjusted his hood. There was no time to feel sorry for himself now. Xemnas could wait—Riku swore he would find him again. For now, there was a fledgling heartless on the loose and there was only one person who could take care of it.

-x-X-x-

Aqua wasn't one for bitterness since she knew where feelings like that often lead to. However, she couldn't help but feel a bout of guilt and anger upon arriving at an empty alleyway after the first scream. Darkness lingered in the air even though the alleyway itself looked innocent to the untrained eye. Aqua was many things and careless was not one of them; even in the middle of the night, it didn't take long for her to notice the scattered drops of blood. That's when she realized with a sinking feeling that she was too late.

Accepting her mistake was difficult on its own but Aqua knew she had to move on and continue patrol duty. Master Eraqus depended on her to be responsible. Sulking over a single casualty was not the way to go and if she wasn't out there to keep demonic forces in line, no one would forgive her.

Aqua tapped the tip of her sword against the ground to clear her senses, her weapon briefly morphing into the shape of an elegant key before reverting back to its original shape. She turned to leave but didn't make it very far when something collided with her and collided _hard_. She hit the opposite wall of the alley with an _"Oof…_" before quickly rolling out of the way of the next blow. The next attack slammed into the wall, dislodging pieces of brick and cement while sending dust swirling into the air. She squinted, struggling to make out the shape of her attacker.

_I guess the moonlight's not enough._

Aqua was struck a second time but she immediately dug her heels into the asphalt to keep her ground. Her weapon was raised as she continued to scour the darkness for an assailant.

There was nothing.

She bit her lip. _Now_ she was worried. How was she supposed to fight back if she couldn't even make out her attacker in the darkness? She quickly whirled around to make sure nothing was behind her but that turned out to be a mistake when something grabbed her by the middle and soundly chucked her through the air.

_There's no way I could've missed that, _Aqua thought as she caught herself on a light post, sliding back down to the ground. _It's invisible_, she realized.

Even so, invisibility was never permanent, and Aqua was well aware of that fact. From the corner of her eye, she saw an area of grass crumple in on itself from yards away. Whirling her keyblade around, Aqua muttered a quick spell and fired a stream of light at her unknown assailant.

The effect was immediate as the invisibility wore off and the monster was thrown back. Aqua made out a vaguely humanoid figure with blue horns, yellow eyes, and a strange blue sword grasped in its inky black hand—an Invisible heartless.

_Well that would make sense._

Aqua prepared to block an oncoming attack, but it didn't come. Greatly bewildered, she watched as the monster shook its head and stumbled as it tried to stand back up. Once it caught sight of the keyblade aimed at it, it let out a low rumble of a snarl before turning on its heels to run.

_What the—?_

"Oh no you don't!" Aqua called after it, sprinting to catch up. She didn't understand why the creature was running _away_ from her, especially when her weapon of light was known to attract monsters like these. She raised her weapon and a bolt of lightning clipped the monster in the shoulder. That seemed to do the trick when it turned to face her again, releasing another snarl. It raised its makeshift sword and Aqua cart wheeled out of the way to avoid the incoming blow. She spat when clumps of grass and wet dirt hit her square in the face from the force of the attack.

Wiping the muck from her face, Aqua glowered at the creature. As if to betray its fear in response, its large silhouette flickered before vanishing completely. Frowning, Aqua struggled to keep track of the warping lines with little luck.

_This is going to be one hell of a demon-slaying job._

-x-X-x-

Her sides were killing her when she woke up but Aqua didn't even bother wasting her energy and time to heal minor wounds like bruises. However, when she looked into the mirror that morning, she noticed that dark patches appeared on her cheek to match the ones on her sides. She then made an exception with facial injuries since it would've been troublesome if they drew concern, especially from Ven.

Needless to say, Aqua did not feel (nor look) the top of her game when she showed up for AP Biology that day. Tifa was already gazing at her with concern when she took her seat beside her.

"So uh… had a rough night?" She asked.

Aqua nodded as she rubbed her eyes. "I know I look horrible; you can say it. I spent all night on Ansem's report and I'm not even finished."

Tifa frowned as she collected both of their homework handouts to turn in. "It's not due till next week, Aqua. Anyway, you're not the only one who's had a hard time lately. Terra's called in sick for today."

Aqua automatically turned to the spot where the brunette normally sat. True enough, the seat was empty. "Is he really? He looked perfectly fine yesterday…" She pursed her lips together, thinking back on the incident with the boy named Vanitas.

Tifa shrugged lightly. "I'm not sure. You can ask Zack about it."

"Ask me about what?" Zack suddenly appeared. He pulled something out from his binder and handed it to Tifa. "Oh, turn this in for me too."

Tifa's expression soured as she took his handout. "Why even bother with this…" she sighed after looking it over. Not waiting for an answer, she turned and left the two alone.

Zack plopped down into what used to be Terra's seat. "So ask me about what?" He repeated, resting his elbows on the edge of the table as he looked at her intently.

"Well… about Terra, did he happen to tell you what's up?"

Zack shrugged, mirroring Tifa's earlier response. "Well yes, and no. He just told me he wasn't feeling good." He scratched his head and sighed deeply, closing his eyes. "It's not the first time he just randomly decides to call in sick; he's almost as bad as Cloud sometimes. He's been doing it ever since I've met him and he's always complaining about some issue or another."

"We suggested a doctor," Tifa added on when she returned, nodding. "He probably can't afford regular checkups though and I remember him telling me he didn't like hospitals."

"He's afraid of them," Zack corrected, smirking a little.

Aqua found that hard to believe; Terra didn't seem like the type to possess irrational fears, though she did feel a bit of curiosity towards what he _was_ afraid of, if there was anything at all.

The bluenette frowned to herself when she then began to wonder if it was a bit intrusive of her to be so interested in someone else's health. It's not like he sent her a message—it probably wasn't even something to worry over. Everyone gets sick now and then.

A yelp of pain brought Aqua's conscience back to matters at hand when Tifa lightly slapped Zack on the back of his head. Aqua smiled without realizing, wondering what he did to warrant such a response.

-x-X-x-

Sora blinked innocently as he raised two hands simultaneously to smoosh together his friend's cheeks.

Riku sputtered when he pushed the other back out of his reach. "What in the world was that for?" He demanded as he rubbed his face.

Sora only grinned. "About time. You've been acting all moody today but it's lunch so you should cheer up a little. What's on your mind?"

Riku scowled and crossed his arms, sitting back. "You're always calling me moody so what makes you think there's something on my mind?"

Sora rolled his eyes as he put his hands on his hips, looking exasperated. "I've been your best friend since forever now, you'd think I would know these things."

Riku prepared a retort but he was momentarily distracted when someone else joined them. Ven pulled up a chair beside Sora and the silver-haired young man was fooled for a second into thinking it was Roxas. He shook his head, reminding himself that Roxas was still recovering at the hospital. Still, it wasn't his fault that the two looked so much alike.

"I dunno about taking sides," Ven began when he sat down to join them, "but no offense Riku, you have been acting a little different lately."

"See?" Sora declared almost triumphantly. "Even Ven knows what's up. Spill it, Riku—there's no where to run."

The oldest amongst them scowled as he stood up. He towered over the other two for a moment before turning away. "Stop being such a kid. I'm getting ice cream before the line gets too long," he grumbled.

Ventus raised a hand. "Oh, is it okay if you get one for Axel too? I'll pay you back if you want."

Riku turned slightly to look at him curiously. He hummed, considering the request. "Sure thing, but I'll leave it up to Sora to pay me back. He still owes me for this week's supply."

"Aw you're so nice—" Sora did a double-take when he processed the last part of his agreement. "—Hey wait a moment, I thought you were just being a great friend!"

Riku only laughed when he left them.

"He's probably just saying that." Sora pouted. "Sorry he's being such a stubborn pain in the butt."

Ven stared after him. "It's okay, but is he normally this uhm… quiet and stuff?"

Sora shook his head in response. "No, Riku normally isn't like this no matter what he says. He acts all tough and mysterious sometimes, but this is different—there's definitely something up. But geeze, that guy sometimes… He sure knows how to change the subject and ditch us like that."

"Well, he's coming back," Ventus reasoned, patting the brunette on the shoulder. He looked over his own and nodded to himself when he spotted who he was looking for sitting alone on a nearby bench. "Hey, maybe I should go talk to Axel to see what's up. Maybe we'll have better luck with him."

"Everyone's acting weird," Sora sniffed. He waved a hand. "You can go and give him a try; I'll save our table."

"Thanks, Sora."

"It's no biggy," he said, shrugging casually.

-x-X-x-

Riku sighed deeply, allowing his shoulders to slump when he knew he was out of the others' view. His chest still ached from the beating he took last night and his sloppy Cure spells did little to relieve the pain. However, he wasn't too concerned about his own condition. What bothered him for the entire day was the mysterious disappearance of the newly created heartless he had been determined to hunt down. He had sensed its presence in the night air, but during the entire tracking process, it suddenly vanished without a trace. He knew the creature didn't just escape into the Darkness Between since it would've at least left a lingering scent for Riku to pick up.

The only explanation he could think of was that the heartless had been destroyed before he could find it, but who had done it if it wasn't Riku himself?

His brows furrowed in confusion as he rubbed them wearily.

It was possible Xemnas had enough of its existence and ended it shortly after its creation like the murderous soul he was. It could've been him, or it could've been another wielder of a keyblade, but that idea seemed absolutely ridiculous to him. As far as he knew, Riku was the only one, save for a select few, who was well aware of the monsters that lurked within the city.

Something or someone eliminated the demon and Riku was determined to find out who.

-x-X-x-

"Hey…" Ven greeted uncertainly. He nervously grit his teeth together as he took a seat beside the brooding redhead, telling himself that it was a little too late for reconsideration.

Axel's eyes widened for a brief moment when he turned to face him. However, his expression returned to being blank and Ventus realized he probably mistook him for his best friend. His stomach twisted.

"Hey kid," Axel returned. "So what do you have for me?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to talk for a bit. Did you think I was Roxas for a moment there?" He asked, twiddling his thumbs together. He didn't know why he was feeling so nervous in front of this person. Maybe it was because he was a senior, but Aqua was a junior and he had no problems talking to her. Well, then again, she was his sister after all. After mentally slapping himself, he remembered that Terra was a junior too and he definitely didn't have any problems bonding with the older student.

"Well, yeah. You can't really blame me, can you?"

Ventus shook his head. "Not really, I'm used to it. The same thing happens with Riku and Sora and some other people I don't even know. I feel a little bad sometimes—" He smiled. "—but it's okay, right? Everything will be back to the way it was when Roxas comes back."

Axel shrugged nonchalantly and Ventus was glad he was making some progress here. "Yeah, when he comes back…" He echoed.

"You know, Axel, you should listen to everyone. I'm not sure what went down, but it isn't your fault; come sit with us again."

"I'll consider it since you're being nice about it and I like you so far," Axel replied, stretching his lanky arms as he yawned. "But I still need some thinking time to myself, got it memorized?"

Ven nodded. "I guess if you say so, but you should hurry up with your thinking. It's driving Sora crazy because Riku's acting a little oddly too." He laughed a little but stopped when he got a good look at the other's face. "Are… are you okay?"

Axel looked tired and the circles under his eyes were uncharacteristic of his daily appearance. He drew back when he noticed that Ven was looking directly at him. He rubbed his normally bright green eyes as if he could make the tiredness go away. "I'm the last one you should probably be worried about. I can deal with a few lost hours of sleep and a measly fever."

"You should've stayed home if you're feeling sick," Ventus scolded as he pressed his hand against the senior's forehead, catching him by surprise. "Yeah, you're burning up all right."

Axel brushed him off. "What're you—it's just a head cold. Like I said, it's nothing to make a big deal over. Sheesh, you're just like your sister."

Ventus perked up. "You're friends with Aqua?"

"Nah," he replied, "I've seen her around and Terra tells me stuff about her."

Ven drew closer, curious. "Oh like wha—ouch, hey!" Axel pushed a hand against the younger boy's head to keep him at arms length, grinning.

"Like I would tell you, you little runt."

-x-X-x-

Aqua sneezed.

She then heaved an annoyed sigh when she arrived at the nearest bathroom. When she peeked in, she was peeved to find several girls lined up against the wall and even more crowding around the bathroom mirrors to fix their hair and make up. Another girl stood not too far away, tapping her foot as she waited to use the sink.

"Great, I guess I'll have to go across campus to wash this stuff off my hands," Aqua muttered to herself, feeling the sticky juice that Selphie accidentally spilled on the table (and all over Aqua's precious literature homework) dry up.

After five minutes of walking, muttering, and furious scrubbing, Aqua caught sight of someone familiar sitting against the building she was just about to walk by. After getting a better look, she approached the young man who sat by himself.

"Terra?"

Terra had his head resting against his knees when he jerked at the sound of his name. "Wha—oh, it's you, Aqua."

Aqua noted that instead of looking his usual tan, he looked rather pale to the point that his lips were bordering on a bluish hue. "What are you doing here? You look really sick."

Terra let out a dry chuckle. "It's good to know I look as great as I feel."

Aqua frowned, setting her bag down as she sat next to him with her back to the wall to mirror his posture. "That's not what I was really trying to go for," she said, wondering why her voice was softer now. "But why are you here? I thought you were going to stay home for the day."

"It's just a headache," Terra grumbled, bowing his head again. Silence fell over them for one long moment before he spoke up again. "…I'm sorry for embarrassing you yesterday by the way."

Aqua frowned—he was going to bring that up now? "I wasn't embarrassed," she said, sounding a bit more defensive than she intended. She added a little more gently, "I already got over that a while ago, so don't worry about it. Besides, you were only trying to help."

Terra exhaled wearily with the arch of his back rising and falling in the process. He let the issue go before reverting back to the previous matter at hand. "To answer your question, I'm only here because I have to teach kendo lessons afterschool."

If it weren't for the situation, Aqua would've been mildly interested in his afterschool agenda. Instead, she grimaced—it hurt just to look at the state he was in.

"If this happens a lot, you should go see a doctor about it," she suggested gently.

"What makes you think I don't…?" Aqua didn't answer but Terra understood. He shook his head. "Those two… Well I get the occasional headache, but that's pretty normal for us teenagers. Though, something like this…"

Aqua slowly let out a breath as she made a decision. She didn't bother this morning to heal her own wounds for the sake of conserving precious energy, but one small spell couldn't hurt, especially since she recovered from last night for the most part anyway. "Hey, I think I know something that might help."

Terra looked at her curiously and she beckoned for him to come closer. When he scooted until their shoulders were almost touching, Aqua turned so her body was facing him. She laid both of her hands on either side of his head, resting her thumbs against his temples. Aqua subconsciously noted that his hair was much softer than it looked.

"If you uhm… if you massage your head in certain places, it helps the pain go away." Of course that wasn't entirely true, but Aqua felt that she needed to say _something_ since the situation was growing more awkward by the second. "It helps if you close your eyes," she hastily added.

Terra raised a puzzled eyebrow, but complied. Aqua found it easier to concentrate now that his eyes were closed.

"Now keep them closed."

She quickly scanned their surroundings to make sure no one was around. When she was certain that they were alone, she returned her attention back to Terra. She concentrated deeply as she moved her thumbs in a circular motion to keep up appearances and soon enough, her hands lit up with a faint greenish glow. Delicate tendrils of green light settled amongst dark brown hair as Aqua finished the last part of the spell. The light faded completely when she removed her hands.

"Done," she said, smiling hopefully. "Did that help any?"

Terra blinked as he slowly raised his head. "Aqua…" he began softly, "I think I love you."

Aqua playfully stuck out a tongue, feeling pleased with herself even though it was just a small feat. "It was nothing." She silently thanked her success in compensating for the lack of a verbal command with deeper concentration. Then again, she's had plenty of practice when it came to spell casting, especially those of the Cure variety.

"No seriously, I feel like hugging you but I'm worried you might question my masculinity if I do." He chuckled and Aqua was glad to see the color returning to his cheeks. However, her smile curved downwards in curiosity when she noticed a band-aid pasted along the edge of his jaw.

"Oh, your face…"

Terra automatically raised a hand to touch the band-aid. "It's nothing… Just a little cut."

Aqua scrutinized him and he fidgeted. "Does it have anything to do with your aforementioned masculinity?"

"No really," he added, "I don't want to talk about it."

Aqua's look of scrutiny turned into a glare and that was enough for Terra to relent. He held up his hands defensively, averting his eyes to somewhere else that wasn't Aqua's face.

"Only because I owe you. I cut myself shaving, happy now?" The color that returned to his cheeks deepened and for some reason, Aqua burst out laughing, unable to keep up her angry façade. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that this "accident" only made him seem more like the teenager he truly was.

"You're getting embarrassed because of _that_?" She giggled, holding a hand over her mouth. "If only you knew half the things that happened to me, but it's better that you don't…" She shook her head and sat back, resuming her previous position by his side.

Terra growled and crossed his arms, but Aqua caught a hint of amusement in those midnight blue orbs of his.

"Whatever, you can't possibly be any worse than I am."

"Oh believe me."

He cocked an eyebrow, looking skeptical. "Now I'm curious…"

Aqua was about to deny him the opportunity to hear about her own blunders but she reconsidered. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to reveal a little fault, it was only fair.

"The night before my first day of high school, Ven stuck gum in my hair while I slept. I had to give myself an impromptu hair cut the next day and it was horrible." Years ago, Aqua would've been blushing at the mere thought of that memory, but now she could only laugh at herself which wasn't so bad.

Terra whistled. "He's a handful, isn't he? That must've been a bad first day, but not _that _bad."

Aqua folded her arms, unconvinced. "Do your worst."

Her companion smirked with eagerness and the two engaged in an intense exchange of banters and anecdotes involving tumbling down an escalator while getting one's hair stuck in the process, smashing through revolving doors, mixing painkillers while having company over, and getting hit by a car after offering to carry an elderly woman's groceries.

"Terra!" Aqua gasped. "Did you break anything?"

"Nothing except a couple jars of pasta sauce," he answered, shrugging as if the incident wasn't a big deal.

She punched him in the arm and he playfully winced, feigning pain. "That's not what I meant!"

"Relax, Aqua. It was in the parking lot. The worst part was when I had to pay for the stuff that couldn't be saved."

"Well aren't you the sweetest and most charming guy I know." The corner of her mouth twitched and she folded her arms behind her head before Terra did the same thing. "Hey… can I ask you something?"

He nodded invitingly as he laid back, staring up at the sky. "Go ahead."

Aqua was quiet as she carefully considered which words to use to voice her thoughts. "Would… would it be weird if I said it feels like we've known each other for more than four days?" She faltered. "Maybe it's just me."

Terra shook his head and his voice softened in understanding when he spoke. "That's not weird at all—I sort of feel the same to be honest. Either way, it's not a bad thing, right?" He turned his head to smile and Aqua returned his gesture, feeling a warm light spark within her chest. "I don't care if I only met you a few days ago, we're friends from here on out now, okay?"

"I'd hope so," Aqua answered, laughing gently. Terra joined her and the two of them sat back under the vastness of the blue midday sky, enjoying the last minutes of their break time to soak under the warmth of the sun. The blue-haired young woman closed her eyes and smiled to herself. For the first time in years, she felt like she was right at home, forgetting all about the darkness and demons and fighting in exchange for these few minutes of tranquility.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: _**_A longer update to make up for last chapter :) __This will be my last update until I start school again ;; When that happens, updates will come a bit slower than they did before (which was like 3 days fff). _

_Next Chapter: Roxas returns, but what becomes of Axel...?_

_Thank you Terra ForceXIII, TalkativeWriter4, Yue Twilli, Dormouse of Dreams, MonMonCandie, Regen Mitternacht, and LightBloom for your feedback :) And thank you, reader for stopping by. Once again, reviews or constructive criticism are very much appreciated. Until next time~_

_P.S. That part about getting one's hair stuck in the escalator... that really did happen to me oTL_


	4. The Man in the Flames

After Ventus left a ball-point pen in his own batch of laundry, Aqua took it upon herself to start checking her own pockets before her bottoms went into the washer. While handling a particular pair of jeans, something white came tumbling out of the left pocket.

Puzzled by its sudden appearance, she picked the paper up and unfolded it, realizing that it was the old drawing from last week. The drawing itself didn't change except for the sharp creases from the abuse it received. Aqua huffed and set it aside when she was still unable to discern its meaning. Ever since she received the strange drawing, she meant to ask the girl named Namine about it, but every time fourth period came around, she would conveniently forget that she even had the paper.

Aqua shook her head and continued with the next pair of pants, deciding that it was probably just a weird welcoming present.

-x-X-x-

**IV: The Man in the Flames**

-x-X-x-

The sun set over Radiant Garden hours ago, blanketing the city in night while several buildings lit up like artificial stars dotted amongst the city skyline.

Sitting on the edge of a lonely balcony, Xemnas narrowed his bright amber eyes to quietly observe the horizon. The fogginess of sleep still lingered for a moment within his mind before dissipating completely. He smiled to himself as he stretched and casually cracked his neck, allowing smoky tendrils of black to coil and hug every groove of his body, forming an ebony-colored cloak. Every awakening was the same—slightly exhilarating and lightly refreshing after a forced bout of sleep.

Thousands of little lights twinkled as the city life gradually died down—anyone would've admitted that the city was quite grand and beautiful on its own, but in his eyes, it was nothing more than a hindrance that stood in the way between him and his desires. This very city was sheltering something from him and he wouldn't waste a moment's hesitation in sinking the entire land into the abyss if the occasion called for it, but these particular undertakings required much patience on his part.

He was a patient person, if he could call himself a person anyway.

Snapping his fingers, the air before him wavered and distorted the city's towers before splitting to reveal a mysterious void. A blur slipped out from between the crack before it closed back up. The sliver of white stretched and slipped through the air with the consistency of rubber before taking on a stranger shape. A four-limbed and faceless creature colored in different shades of silver and white presented itself before Xemnas. Now that it was still, an ounce of blood could be seen smeared along its gaping mouth that resembled peculiar zippers. It rippled again.

Xemnas allowed himself a sigh as he covered half his face, his exposed eye glinting dangerously. "…It would be in your best interest if you have something noteworthy to present to me."

The creature's body quivered in response before a torn sheet of paper materialized within its grasp. Slipping through the air in a loop, it gave the page to Xemnas who took it with little concern.

_A new light_, it spoke with a hollow voice. The white shell stretched and twisted in midair, departing to leave its superior in solitude to contemplate the object on his own.

Xemnas paid the creature no mind as he held the ripped page with one gloved hand while tracing the colored strokes with the other. His unreadable gaze was automatically drawn to the brilliant blue used to sketch out two eyes and several smoother strokes that resembled hair while shades of peach and soft pinks came together to form a tender smile. The drawing was only a mere impression, but the cerulean that framed the delicate eyes and mouth brought the childish portrait together as a whole.

His expression remained undisturbed as he folded the paper and held it up between two fingers. Its corners began to smoke before crumpling as if an invisible flame was consuming it. The drawing turned to ashes within moments and Xemnas let the remains trickle from his hand and disappear to the depths below.

Perhaps his existence wasn't as clandestine as he originally preferred if it meant that a wielder of the keyblade was sent here, but it wasn't a problem. He would not let an additional variable lead him to failure and the Order was a collection of asinine fools if they truly believed he could be thwarted through these useless measures—destiny was set and destiny favored only him.

Xemnas exhaled deeply, tilting his head to stare down over the edge. He thought about those eyes and how that repulsive smile crumbled to ash, just like its original owner in due time.

-x-X-x-

The afternoon of the next day was another pleasant one for the students as they left campus to return home, but not for Namine. She sat perched on one of the many benches available with her knees tucked beneath her, flipping through her precious sketchbook for a second time before accepting the fact that a drawing had indeed gone missing.

"_Namine, what are you looking for?"_

"_A drawing... I-it was here before I…"_

"_A drawing… of the girl? Were you going to give it to her?"_

_Namine lowered her head, biting her lip. She shook her head as her tiny shoulders slumped in resignation. "N-no…"_

"_Then there shouldn't be a problem."_

The unfinished portrait vanished without a trace and Namine was distraught, knowing she would probably never see it again. She sighed dejectedly. She never liked leaving things unfinished but the missing drawing seemed to be the least of her problems when—

"What are you doing sulking over a book for?" Spoke a sharp voice as someone grabbed the sketchbook right out of her hands.

Namine let out a cry of surprise before jumping up to take back her sketchbook, only to fail when her antagonist held it out of her reach, a cruel smile plastered on her lips.

"Oh, calm down. There's no need for you to get your panties twisted in a bunch; I just want a look." She flipped open the cover and stuck her tongue out in disgust. "Egh, since you draw so much, I thought you'd actually be _good_ at it."

"Give it back," Namine demanded, trying to sound as assertive as she could while she glared darkly at the blonde young woman before her.

"Hey," someone else suddenly spoke up, "you heard her…"

-x-X-x-

"So is Ven coming with us?"

Terra shook his head as he stored away a makeshift rod made with strips of bamboo into his locker. He folded a white uniform along with a dark blue hakama, stuffing the two garments into a duffel bag. He slung the heavy bag over his shoulder as he dabbed his sweat-drenched forehead with the nearest towel before throwing it into the basket of dirty laundry. Zack did the same and the two of them left the lockers.

"He and Aqua already left a while ago. I think he had to deliver something for Roxas," Terra explained, exhaling softly as he enjoyed the September breeze.

"It's about time he finally came back, and Axel didn't even bother to come to school today for the welcoming party… something about the flu," Zack said, frowning in confusion.

Terra shrugged. "He probably took Ven's advice then—it's no big deal, you can complain about it when he gets better."

Zack nudged him. "You're the one who got sick first, so you probably passed the bug onto him and now the poor guy's been stuck in bed. You know how he hates missing out on stuff."

"Whatever," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "I didn't even have the flu but I guess he's not coming with us for tonight either."

"Lame," Zack grumbled. "You heard about the curfew that's been put into action since Sunday night, haven't you? The authorities must be ripping their hair out over all the unsolved cases, especially when another missing person report was filed in yesterday. I guess they don't want anyone out after midnight until they can find a lead."

"It's not something to laugh about," Terra said quietly.

Zack sighed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I wasn't—hey… what's Larxene doing?"

"…Something she's not supposed to be doing, probably."

The two boys continued on, approaching the young woman who seemed to be taking pleasure in tormenting another girl. She held a white spiral-bound book over her head with its pages flopping around haphazardly as the other girl jumped in vain to retrieve it.

"Give it back!" Terra heard her shout as they got closer.

The two of them saw the mischievous grin that crossed their fellow classman's face and Terra decided to step in with Zack following suit.

"Hey, you heard her," Zack said, leaning on one leg with his bag slung over a shoulder. He nodded towards the younger girl. "Go pick on someone your own size, Larx'. Or better yet, you can kindly reform your ways and be an upstanding citizen like the rest of us. I mean, we're all adults here, aren't we?"

The young woman named Larxene turned to face them. Her lips puckered as she narrowed her cerulean eyes in sour consideration at his sarcasm. "Well, why it isn't the dynamic duo, always butting in when they feel like it. I can't even have a mere five minutes of fun without you and that redhead sticking your nose into everything."

"Just give it a rest," Terra sighed. "You need to find better ways to entertain yourself if you're so bored."

Her laugh was a harsh yet high-pitched sound. "Oh, like screwing around with wooden swords? Why don't _you_ give it a rest?"

Their expressions hardened and while most people would've succumbed to the two sets of eyes glaring intensely down at them, Larxene only examined her fingernails innocently. She tilted her head back casually and studied the youngest student amongst them. Namine glowered at her.

"Whatever, I'm not just going to hand it to someone like you," she said loftily to her. "But you boys do have a point, I have places I need to be." Shrugging with a girlish snort, Larxene carelessly tossed the sketchbook into the air towards the two boys.

Terra reacted first, reaching out to grasp the book by its spine to avoid damaging the pages even further. In the short amount of time it took to straighten everything up, Larxene left and Zack didn't stop her—Terra didn't really expect him to.

He gingerly held the object with both hands, having to bend down a little to look at the girl in the eyes. He handed the book to her and she accepted it with a tiny "thanks", but neither of them looked away.

Terra laid a hand on her shoulder and he felt her flinch in surprise. "Make sure you hold on to your cherished things. Don't let someone take advantage of you like that again, all right?" Terra told her gently.

She nodded and Terra was about to smile reassuringly but Zack lazily kicked him over first, appearing deeply exasperated. "Stop being such a sentimental sap, it's just a drawing book."

"Oh _shut up,_ Dreamer Boy," Terra growled angrily, lying on the ground. He made a move to get back up only to find the girl hurrying away with her arms tightly wrapped around the returned sketchbook. She vanished around the corner before either of them could call out.

"Uh, a strange little girl, isn't she?" Zack asked, rubbing the back of his neck in confusion.

Terra nodded in agreement as he rose back to his feet, not without punching Zack in the gut. His friend doubled over and Terra used him as a temporary armrest as he continued to stare in the direction she left in. He frowned inwardly as he stood there, thinking to himself. Before the girl turned away to leave, he swore there was a mixture of concern and maybe even fear in her pale blue eyes. He wondered what enkindled that and hoped he wasn't the cause—perhaps he needed to work on that intimidation thing more. "…I think her name's Namine. She's Kairi's cousin, isn't she?"

"Something… something like that. Agh, what the hell Terra…" Zack griped, rubbing his stomach as he straightened back up.

Terra chuckled and slapped him on the back. "Come on, let's go. You've been through worse so just suck it up."

Embittered, Zack only glared at him as they continued walking on their way, whining, "I'm telling Aqua…"

-x-X-x-

"Thanks for the ride, Ms. Ven's sister!" Sora called out, waving energetically before bounding up to the front porch of his house.

Aqua was bemused when she looked at Ven through the rearview mirror. "You need to tell that boy my name's Aqua."

"I did!" Ven insisted, straightening his legs out as he stretched. "He thinks it's more polite if he calls you that instead though for some reason. Don't hold it against him—he just wants to make a good impression… I think."

"Well make sure he gets it next time," she replied, smiling despite her stern tone. She turned the steering wheel and moved away from the curb, continuing their way down the neighborhood road. "I guess we're stopping by Roxas's place next?"

Ven climbed over onto the front seat, careful not to wipe his shoes anywhere lest he suffer from his sister's wrath. "It's Axel's homework we have to drop off, remember? Roxas said he forgot today's so we're going to meet him at Axel's place. He says there's a complex down the road from Sora's house."

"I'm way ahead of you." Aqua pulled up and waited for a gate to slowly open before drawing into a small parking lot situated between two worn down, but well-maintained buildings. An empty lot sat between the two buildings in front and it apparently lead to the street perpendicular to the one behind them. The age of the property showed itself in the form of morning glory climbing up the beige stucco walls in thick blankets while old maple trees towered and stooped over the buildings.

"It's kind of like our place, isn't it?" Ven remarked, staring out the window.

Aqua nodded, not really paying attention as she pulled into the nearest free parking space. "Maybe… What's the room number?"

Ven drew a blank. "Oh, um… Well he was supposed to be out here and…"

Aqua slowly turned to face him, her hands still set on the steering wheel. He swallowed uncomfortably. "_Ventus_, we're a ten minute drive from home and unless you want to be the one knocking on everyone's door, you better call Roxas now or you're doing my homework for the day."

Ven was horrified as he dramatically pressed himself against the car door. "You _wouldn't_."

Aqua only glared sternly.

-x-X-x-

Unsurprisingly, it was Roxas who answered the door when they finally made it up to the second floor. He apologized profusely for the inconvenience, explaining that his friend's temperature had skyrocketed and he didn't feel right leaving him unattended. Aqua was mollified and assured him there was no problem while Ven left a binder full of papers and handouts on a table laden with more papers and handouts.

"Aqua, this is Roxas. Roxas, this is my sister, Aqua," Ven quickly introduced them, grabbing both their hands and maneuvering them into a sloppy handshake.

Aqua smiled in acknowledgment despite her little brother's antics. "Well it's nice to meet you."

Roxas nodded and Aqua was subconsciously amazed that the two boys were indeed spitting images of each other, minus the bandaging and brace that Roxas was forced to wear. Even so, her trained eye quickly picked up the minor differences that set the two apart seeing that Ventus was her brother after all.

"Yeah, you too and sorry again… I should've called."

"Hey, I said it's okay—" she replied, waving him off. She looked towards the only other door in the room. "—but you said something about a really bad fever?"

Roxas grimaced and cast a glance towards Ven before looking back up at her. "Last night, we were talking and he told me the doctor said there wasn't anything serious about him since his lungs were clear or something like that. He's been asleep all day I think, so I checked him when I first got here. It burned just to touch him." He stared down at his hands, rubbing his fingertips together. "That's not normal at all, is it?"

"I told him that you might be able to tell us what's wrong if you saw him, Aqua," Ven added sheepishly, "You're better than any old doctor."

Aqua frowned as she made her way to the door, grasping the knob without turning it. Something was off now that she thought about it, but her senses failed to pick up anything out of the ordinary. It was likely the disturbance in the atmosphere was only her imagination and nothing more, but she wasn't going to abandon her gut-feeling just yet. "Does anyone else live here?"

"No," Roxas answered, "Axel lives alone but he gets monthly payments to help pay the bills."

"Aqua…" Ven began hesitantly. "You already look a little worried."

"Oh, do I?" Aqua huffed to herself but she was beaming reassuringly when she turned to face them again. It appeared an intervention was needed if she was going to ascertain her suspicions. "Never mind about me, look at you two. Roxas, you've had a rough week and Ven, you've been working so hard lately. I'm going to have to remedy that before I start on anyone else…"

-x-X-x-

Getting the boys to leave Axel's apartment to her wasn't as difficult as she anticipated after she mentioned free ice cream, insisting that it was all on her. After promising the two she would find out what's up, the boys rushed out within seconds with speed that impressed even Aqua considering that Roxas was probably still recovering. She hoped that neither of them would get _too_ used to it though, since her wallet was feeling painfully light.

After making sure that she really was alone, Aqua wondered what the others would think if they knew she was snooping around a practical stranger's apartment. Setting aside her inhibitions, she entered the single bedroom of the apartment and was immediately hit with the acrid stench of sulfur and something likened to burning charcoal.

Coughing into her hand and waving the air before her in a vain attempt to rid herself of the smell, she wondered how in the world this went unnoticed until after she opened the door. She then rushed over to the only person who was in the room with her, realizing in horror that this man was the source of burning odor, although she wasn't sure how. Aside from the flush in his cheeks and the look of discomfort on his face, the man named Axel was slowly breathing, if a bit shakily—he was alive and Aqua was thankful for that alone.

A sense of decency didn't occur to her as countless thoughts came rushing through Aqua's mind when she grabbed the covers and pulled them halfway off the other. What she saw next sent her mind reeling as she covered her mouth, feeling nauseous.

This could not be the work of nature.

Axel's chest was exposed and the skin of his torso was like a ripped canvas stretched over burning flesh. In some areas, the skin had completely burned away, exposing the sinewy muscle that lay beneath. The damage didn't stop there, however; his flesh continued to burn and smoke, filling Aqua's nose with an awful smell. The tips of his fingers were red with the nails charred to blackened stumps while the skin continued to burn away—this man was burning alive from the inside right before her very eyes.

Holding her shaking hands over the most afflicted area, Aqua whispered, "_Cure…_"

Her hands glowed with a green light before fizzling out completely, having no affect on the burns themselves. There was another force at work here and it was severing her magical connection to prevent her from interfering. She needed to think of an alternative way fast, or else this person will continue to burn until nothing is left.

Aqua clenched her hands once before trying again, weaving together her own spell this time. If she couldn't intervene directly, then she would just have to settle with a different approach.

"_Ostendo sum copiae—"_ She cried out when fire suddenly flared up and licked her fingertips, leaving them raw. She resisted the urge to pull them away and continued her incantation with difficulty, "—_copie reprehendo."_

Breathing heavily from the pain and her diminishing energy, Aqua added in one last command. "_Discerpo iunctio…_"

Her hands collapsed to her sides as she fell back. The smoking stopped and Aqua let out a sigh of relief despite herself. Looking down at her singed fingertips, she sensed the imbued magic in her wounds and in the fire that appeared. If she could discern the source, then she could reverse all damage caused by it, if she had the strength to do so anyway.

Forcing herself up to her knees, Aqua laid a hand across Axel's forehead. He jerked but remained unconscious as a groan escaped his lips. The fever was dying the down and Aqua knew at least one part of the spell succeeded.

"If my spell failed, I would know," Aqua said quietly. "There is no escape for you now, so show yourself."

Time stood still for that split second and Aqua braced herself as the body before her burst into flames. It was a startling sight that almost made her cry out, but she knew better than to fear them. After all…

"_Quite impressive of you, even for someone so adept with the arcane. However, exorcism must not be one of your many talents…"_

Aqua was pressed against the opposite wall from the sheer force of the summoning with her hair and clothes billowing around her. She grit her teeth together as she struggled to find her voice amongst the wind and fire. "I don't like interfering with the souls of other human beings, that's why."

The presence chuckled deeply, its feral voice gruff as it reverberated within her mind. Their surroundings darkened and the ground she sat upon transformed into a surface of fiery brimstone. Tiny flames licked her skin harmlessly as the pillar of fire whirled and roared before it began to take shape into something solid. The remaining fire disappeared and revealed a towering beast that stood before Aqua, its horned head bowed to gaze upon her with bright yellow eyes. Orange and red hair trailed down its sinewy back like a fiery mane while two sets of grand black horns extended backwards and framed its wrinkled snout. Matching claws the length of Aqua's own arms were pressed against the ground as the beast sat perched there, its dark brown body heaving with every hot breath it exhaled.

Aqua grasped the keychain in her pocket, gazing back at the creature fearlessly. "Your name is Ifrit, a demon of flames and deceit. Why are you here?"

"_Ah, you seem to be well-versed in your demonology as well,_" Ifrit remarked. "_I was summoned here. I am not your enemy, Wielder of the Keyblade."_

Aqua growled as she sat up to stand on her own two feet. She extended an arm and in a flurry of swirling petals and blue light, a rusty katana appeared in her grasp. "Had I not appeared today, that man would've died. His body was already falling apart and you took no measures to save it."

A gust of hot air hit Aqua full in the face as Ifrit snorted. "_It was a willing possession. The human named Axel knew the risks—I have no control over what befalls his physical condition._" The beast pawed the ground, unconcerned for the glowing sword pointing directly at it. "_I was confident you would appear. I sensed that someone else already warned you about my presence. Am I wrong?"_

Aqua thought back on the drawing that fell from her pocket earlier. Her eyes widened in realization but her epiphany was short lived when a dozen more questions flooded her mind, half of them revolving around the mysterious blonde girl dressed in white. "Never mind that," Aqua snapped, distrust still clear in her eyes. "How did Axel know how to summon you, and why did he do it?"

Ifrit chuckled again, its voice rumbling across the void like thunder. "_Perhaps you should ask him that yourself." _Several embers sparked up from the invisible ground, licking the heels of the demon. It opened its arms with its slender claws pointing upwards, allowing the fire to envelope its entire form.

"Wait! I'm not done with you!" Aqua protested, slashing her weapon through the air although she was helpless to stop it.

"_You will suffer damage if you renew that summoning spell and sustain your anti-catalyst for any longer. I am no longer bound by your conditions, but I assure you the danger has passed. However, listen to me, Wielder of the Keyblade._

"_There is a battle waiting on your doorstep and you will suffer a loss greater than you have ever known. However, those who suffer under the hand of fate are given an irrevocable gift. Use it well, lest you wander in your despair forever."_

Before she could demand an explanation, Ifrit vanished completely in a flurry of flames and light. Blinded, Aqua covered her eyes and allowed herself to be returned to reality as her blade transformed back into a harmless keychain. Her vision returned to her and she found that the bedroom was surprisingly left untouched by the summoning. She spared the nearby clock a glance and realized that less than a minute passed since she cast the first successful spell.

"Who knew the new chick was some type of exorcist?"

Aqua snapped her attention to the young man who remained where she found him. He used the sheets to cover half his body as he lay back against the headboard. There was no sign of initial pain or even discomfort in his mischievous gaze and crooked grin. His chest was clean of the gruesome injuries despite the fire that engulfed him moments before and Aqua didn't bother to wonder how they healed.

"That's not what most people call me," Aqua said carefully, unsure of how to treat the situation now that the other was awake and dandy.

"Probably because they don't know what you are, isn't that right?" Axel asked, still smirking. "The name's Axel, got it memorized?"

"I know—" Aqua couldn't help but glare at him. His impetuousness was frankly infuriating—this person almost _died_ a painful and horrible death and here he was, smiling like there was nothing wrong with this entire situation. "—and I'm not an exorcist. I just have a duty to protect people like you, people who mess with forces they don't even understand."

Axel sighed impatiently, as if he were dealing with an angry child. Aqua only fumed even more. "Well I guess there's no use hiding the fact that I'm 'possessed' or that I'm 'aware' now." He scratched his head, his flame-red hair ruffling in the process. "But to be honest, I still feel like myself… I'm a little tired though."

Aqua stood up, her head swimming from the sudden movement. "Had you been anyone else—" She started angrily, prodding Axel straight in the chest, "—I would've sent Ifrit back where he came from, regardless of whatever damage your soul sustains, but mark my words, if you lay a hand on Ventus or Roxas, or anyone for that matter, I'll be sending the both of you to the Darkness Between…. In _pieces_."

Axel gulped, but he brushed her hand away. "You don't understand."

"Oh, so _I_ don't understand, when I've—" Aqua stopped herself and she sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose to will herself to calm down. "I'm… I'm sorry. Maybe I don't completely understand, but you've made a foolish mistake for the sake of power. I can't bring myself to understand someone who's turned to the darkness for strength."

Axel grimaced as he looked away, clenching the edge of his sheets with rigid fists. "We're not like you," he said, all hints of smugness gone from his face when he fixed his piercing green eyes back on her. "Do you know what it feels like to be completely helpless? For someone who apparently knows everything about the world, you're pretty blind. You don't understand what it's like to be attacked by a power you don't understand while your best friend bleeds at your feet."

The anger melted away from Aqua's face as she held a hand over her chest. "The night of the accident last week… That was the night you summoned Ifrit, wasn't it?"

Axel looked down, thinking deeply. "…I didn't mean to," he admitted softly. "But he heard me, or he sensed me… Somehow. It wasn't an accident and if it weren't for him, Roxas and I would probably be long gone… Just like the others, wouldn't we?" He shook his head. "What if it was Ven and not Roxas? What if Ven was in danger and you couldn't do anything to help him, how would you feel?"

"I guess we'll never know the answer to that," Aqua said, turning away. "You would've died on this very bed, but I created an anti-catalyst to force Ifrit to sever the connecting responsible. You should've thought this through."

"It was to protect him—"

Aqua wheeled around to face him again, her eyes churning dangerously like angry ocean waves. "_You would've died!" _She said again, her indignation returning._ "_If I never bothered to check on you, your best friend would've found you roasting alive, and who would protect him from that? _I _would never do something like that to Ventus and leave him on his own."

Axel sat up and pulled the covers off himself. "But isn't that what you're doing now? Keeping him in the dark like that… Ven isn't a little kid. He's almost as old as you."

"That's different… I don't plan on dying." Aqua's shoulders slumped as she walked to the nearest window, opening it to let the fresh air in. "...Roxas doesn't know either, does he?"

Axel didn't answer her for a moment. "…We both have people we want to protect."

"We do," Aqua confessed, nodding slowly. "The world is split between those who are 'aware' and those who aren't." She looked over her shoulder, smiling sadly at him despite her initial anger. "If I had it my way, you'd still be on the other side. 'Ignorance is bliss' is the saying, isn't it?"

Axel shook his head as he carefully stood up. He grabbed a shirt from the pile of clothing at his bedside and slipped it on, stepping to stand beside her and gaze out the same window. "Sorry for the trouble. I get that you're doing me a huge favor just by leaving me like this. I have to thank you… I guess. So thanks."

"It'll be fine if you don't set anything on fire."

Axel chuckled. "As if. So your name's Aqua, right?" She nodded, unsurprised that he knew her name. "Then I probably owe you one—thanks again, Aqua."

-x-X-x-

Four more days passed since her meeting with the strange youth named Axel. Despite their mutual agreement, they rarely conversed during school hours and when they did, it was normally one of the other boys who instigated the conversation.

The end of Aqua's second week came fast and she felt the burden of school catching up to her. At times, Ven's energy proved to be too much for her to handle when it came to his many adventures and discoveries. Contrary to what Axel believed, Ventus was very much like a little kid.

"_Aqua, I bet you didn't know Terra has a Yamaha and he rides it to school every day. Isn't that awesome? He and Zack also run the Kendo club afterschool and he teaches at the dojo that Tifa's dad owns and stuff. You've gotta take me one day, Aqua, please! Track doesn't even start till spring, and that's forever away."_

"_Ha, you tell her, Ven. I can probably let you hitch a ride if there's a problem, Aqua."_

"_Ven doesn't have a helmet… And I certainly hope you wear one, Terra. I don't care about the cool factor."_

"_Aw, Aqua… It'll just be like with Master and stuff."_

"_You learn under a master, Aqua?"_

"_Er, I used to. They were just little things, nothing big."_

"_You both should stay after school then, Zack and Tifa would love that. You see, we can…"_

Terra's voice gradually faded out as Aqua remembered the last time she talked with Eraqus. Come to think of it, it _has_ been a while since either of them saw the old master.

A sharp tapping noise snapped the dozing teen out of her reverie and she sat up with a jolt, upsetting the nearby coffee table while several textbooks came tumbling down from their resting place. Aqua hissed as she scrambled to her feet in a rather comical manner.

"Aqua, you okay?" Ven called from another room.

"I'm fine!" She rubbed her knee in pain as she looked outside to find the source of the tapping. She was rather pleasantly surprised to find a tawny eagle perched on the railing outside, recognizing it to be one of her master's familiars. The eagle expectantly focused its sharp gaze on her as it delivered another set of taps, ruffling its feathers as it did so. Tied to its leg was a folded piece of paper. As much as she was pleased to be greeted by the familiar bird, Aqua couldn't help but wonder with amusement why her master couldn't use the post like most people.

She smiled welcomingly as she slid the door open and stepped outside. She cooed to the bird as she stroked its feathered head, coaxing it to lift its leg so she could untie the letter.

The strange animal obliged and Aqua quietly read the short message to herself, smiling again when she finished.

_I will be arriving soon._

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: _**_Psh, Aqua. Real men use magical animals to deliver their mail. Wizards use owls ;)_

_Sorry for the increased wait for this chapter! Hopefully it won't take me a week to update again, I just need to manage my time better. Though, I'm happy to say that I've been stacking in almost seven hours of sleep every night -proud-. Anyways, this chapter was a bit fun, but frustrating to write since I rearranged, deleted, and edited many parts. I couldn't wait to introduce Ifrit ever since I referenced him in the second chapter xD In case you're not familiar with the FF universe (more specifically, FFX since I based Ifrit's description on that version), Ifrit is a fire-elemental summon who's based off of djinns who were known for their trickery and deceitful ways. Almost describes the worse of Axel, doesn't it? _

_Does this mean Axel can blow things up and set things on fire with his mind? Probably. Will he do it? Probably not if he honors his word (and his life) with Aqua, ha._

_Enough from me. Next Chapter: A familiar face returns and Aqua reflects on the day it rained the hardest._

_Thanks for stopping by and reading this far! Also, thanks to LightBloom, TalkativeWriter4, Terra ForceXIII, MonMonCandie, PiggyBlue, and Mizuki for your kind reviews. If you can drop me a review yourself, I would appreciate it greatly :) Nothing makes me happier than to find a review alert in my inbox, haha. _

_Until next time~_


	5. Requiem

It was three in the morning when Aqua woke up, breathing heavily. She wiped the cold sweat from her brow before rolling over and curling up under her blanket. Of course she had to wake up in the middle of a free night and lose precious hours of sleep. Sighing, she grabbed her phone and slid it open. Today's date and time lit up on the bright screen, illuminating her face and tired eyes.

Oh, she had forgotten. Today was that day…

-x-X-x-

**V: Requiem**

-x-X-x-

The first rain of September came down in droves, pelting the city with giant raindrops that flooded the lower streets. Few cars bothered commuting throughout the city and even fewer people walked the streets. Those unfortunate to be out during this sort of weather walked quickly with their shoulders hunched to shield their necks from the rain. Aqua was one of these people and she was without the luxury of a good coat or umbrella.

Shivering, the blue-haired teen wrapped her arms around a few bundles of groceries, wrapped tightly with the plastic bags they were stored in to protect them from the rain. She automatically turned her back to the street when a car came speeding by, sending up a wave of murky water to splash down on the spot Aqua stood moments before. She cursed her luck as she continued on her way. Of course her car needed maintenance today, of course they ran out of orange juice and ice cream, and of course it was going to pour like no other even when the sky was perfectly clear this morning.

"_Don't frown so much, Aqua, or one day your pretty face will be stuck like that."_

"…_Sorry, Mom."_

Aqua bowed her head to prevent most of the rain from pelting her in the face before crossing the street where there was more cover. A couple passed by her, sparing the teen glances of pity while she became painfully aware about how ridiculous she must look. Without any hands to spare, she dealt with the urge to wring out her hair as well as her clothes that stuck to her like a second skin.

"_Don't forget a coat! You don't want to get pneumonia just like your little brother, now do you?"_

Aqua grimaced, pursing her lips together as the corner of her eyes burned. _Sorry, Mom_.

The harsh rumbling and sputtering of a distant motorcycle suddenly interrupted the continuous sound of rain and Aqua shook her head, her bangs flopping around messily. The weather was horrible, but at least it was somewhat peaceful, until now. Aqua wondered who in the world would be cycling outside in this type of weather.

The young woman's mood was soured even further when she heard the vehicle rev up from behind, followed by a torrent of exhaust-flavored water raining down on her like a vengeful wave. She sputtered and wiped her mouth against one of her shoulders, which did little to help.

Disgruntled but slightly curious, Aqua watched as the owner of the motorcycle pulled up to the curb not too far from where she was. He remained on his bike as he pulled off his helmet, allowing layered brown hair to fall onto the ridge of his shoulders. Raindrops slid down the perfectly dry locks like dew while the water pooled together between the wrinkles of the black jacket he wore.

The rider twisted his body and looked behind him, wondering whom he owed an apology to. He fixed his dark blue eyes on her and the two just stared at each other, dumbfounded.

A moment's silence passed before the brunet blinked and guiltily asked, "Is that you, Aqua?"

"N-no—" She sputtered, lifting the armful of groceries in an attempt to cover her face,"—I mean of course. What are you doing here, Terra?"

Terra tilted his head, his weighted bangs hanging to one side as water dripped from the tips. "I think you ask me that a lot. Why shouldn't I be out here?"

Aqua was incredulous. "Never mind. I should be on my way—I'm freezing. It was nice seeing you though." She aimed to brush past him and avoid further eye contact, but the other reached out and caught her by the wrist before she could leave.

"Wait," he said. "I'm sorry about that, Aqua. You shouldn't walk so close to the streets but—" He looked down at what she was carrying. "—why are _you_ out here? You don't even have a coat or an umbrella. What happened to the car?"

"It's being fixed, and well… We really needed the groceries," Aqua finished lamely, blushing faintly in embarrassment. She mentally kicked herself as she quietly promised Terra that she was more practical than this. She expected him to give her a weird look, laugh, or drive off again, but she didn't expect him to lean over and take the load off her hands and place it in front of himself. "H-hey," she protested weakly, blinking in confusion. "What are you doing?"

Terra nodded over his shoulder. "This bike has room for two. I'll take you back home before you get sick."

The flush in her cheeks deepened despite how ridiculously cold and miserable she was. "Oh, you don't have to—I mean, I live far from here."

Terra shook his head, unconvinced. "Only one more reason to give you a ride. Come on, Aqua, it's really no problem. You can trust me."

_You can trust him_, the voice in her head from earlier echoed. Aqua stood there in her indecisiveness as the rain continued to pour down on the two of them without regard. Feeling a little guilty for making him stop, Aqua conceded and gingerly climbed onto the spot behind him, unsure of how else to proceed.

Without a word, Terra shrugged off his jacket and draped it over Aqua's shoulders. She hesitated, but didn't take it off. Although she was reluctant to admit it, the jacket was warm, and most thankfully dry on the inside—a huge comfort from the downpour.

"Thank you, I owe you one," she mumbled quietly, carefully slipping her arms into the sleeves.

Terra shook his head again as he set his helmet down amongst Aqua's groceries. "No, we're even… Not that I'm keeping count." Revving up the motorcycle and steering back onto the main street, he started out slow to give Aqua the chance to hold on. The sound of the engine was deafening in her ears and she constantly looked down to avoid accidentally brushing her bare legs against the exhaust pipe, but those minor inconveniences were easy to overlook.

Her toes were stiff inside her wet socks, but her feet tingled, relieved from walking through any more puddles. She was pressed against the arch of Terra's back and she could feel his warmth through the front of her shirt while his jacket shielded her from most of the rain at the cost of its original owner taking the brunt of the storm, especially at this speed. Her brows furrowed as she wondered if he was always this considerate.

"You can relax," Terra said to her, his voice barely audible over the sound of the engine. "You're as stiff as a board. I won't let you fall if that's what you're afraid of."

"Oh…" Aqua just realized how rigid her body was—her arms were bent awkwardly around the other's waist as if she were trying to hold onto him with minimal contact. She sighed apologetically and forced her muscles to loosen while maintaining a good hold on him.

Terra seemed satisfied when he didn't speak for the remainder of the trip while Aqua gave him a brief set of directions. They reached their destination in a matter of minutes, but Terra didn't appear to mind Aqua's dishonesty from earlier, assuming she was just one for making excuses at her own expense.

The weather lightened a bit and Aqua dismounted when he stopped, but the two of them were still drenched and the sprinkling did nothing to help. Smiling gratefully, Aqua gathered up the groceries and thanked him before turning to leave, but Terra stopped her for the second time.

"Hey…" He breathed, his hand gently gripping the side of her arm to turn her back around. "What's wrong, Aqua?"

Aqua blinked, appearing oblivious. "There's nothing wrong. Why do you ask?"

Terra frowned as he lowered his arm. "You just… You seemed a little sad back there somehow. Is there anything bothering you?"

Aqua flinched, but Terra didn't notice. The young woman bit her lip and lowered her gaze in poorly disguised remorse. Her fingers dug into plastic as she hastily tried to rearrange her thoughts and come up with something to say. She didn't think about how obvious the dejection and sorrow could be in her blue eyes, and she slowly began to regret accepting Terra's help as Ven's words echoed painfully within her head.

"…_You lied to Terra when he's been so nice—you're Aqua! And Aqua never lies, not to anyone."_

"…_I knew you must've had a reason… You always have a reason."_

"_I miss them, Aqua…"_

She snapped out of it when she felt Terra shake her gently by the shoulder, the concern evident on his face. "Hey… Don't space out on me now. You should probably get some place where it's warm."

Aqua shrugged him off and stepped away from his touch, feeling even worse when she caught the flicker of hurt in the way he withdrew his hand at her rebuff. She put on a shaky smile in a makeshift apology. "It's only family issues," Aqua finally answered. "Please don't worry about me, but thank you again for the ride—I'll be going now."

She quickly bowed her head and rushed off before he could respond. Clutching the bags to her chest, Aqua forgot about the jacket still draped over her shoulders as she left the confused Terra alone in the rain.

-x-X-x-

Rushing up a flight of stairs with her chest constricting painfully left Aqua short of breath. She balanced her load in one arm as she unlocked her apartment door, rushing in when it swung open. Warm air enveloped her as she set the groceries down on the dining table, instantly elated to find Ven beaming at her from the sofa. To her greater pleasure, her brother was accompanied by another familiar face, one she had not seen in almost a year.

Smiling, she shed the coat without much thought as she rushed up to her family before registering protocol, straightening her back respectfully in her master's presence. Her hair continued to drip water onto the linoleum.

Eraqus chuckled at her reaction, his normally stern eyes twinkling in amusement. He ruffled Ven's hair before gently pushing him forward. "That is not how you greet your elder sister, Ventus."

"R-right!" Ven straightened his back as well and it took Aqua a great amount of effort to hold in a chuckle. "Welcome back, Aqua! The master arrived while you were out so we both waited for you."

"Hello, Ven," Aqua returned before bowing her head towards Master Eraqus to relay the greeting. "It's good to see you again, Master."

"It's good to see both of you," Eraqus returned, folding his hands behind his back. Aqua was instantly reminded of the older days when she was still a warrior in training. Unsurprisingly, Eraqus still looked the same as he did even from when they first came together. His eyes were the same dark brown while the carved and worn features of his face remained unchanged despite the years that passed. "…Though, I am disappointed to find you in this condition, Aqua."

Aqua bowed her head again, wiping the smile from her face. "I'm sorry, Master."

"There's no need for you to be so formal during a visit of leisure, I just wish you would mind your health more," Eraqus said. "Imagine the worry you must put Ven through." Aqua almost laughed as she refrained from rolling her eyes at the irony. He clapped a hand to her shoulder and Aqua found herself smiling again, following him outside to the balcony. Before closing the door behind them, he turned and smiled at the Ven who was in the middle of accompanying them. "Ventus, please boil us some tea—your sister must be cold."

Ven nodded, appearing disappointed when he figured that the other two needed to talk in private. He didn't question why they were stepping back outside if Aqua was so cold, opting to go into the kitchen instead like the Master requested.

Aqua grimaced in sympathy, feeling a little sorry for excluding him so soon after their reunion. Despite herself, she remained by the Master's side as they stood on the balcony, shielded by the roof from the sprinkling.

Eraqus took a moment to observe the entranceway, moving his gaze up and down as if he were studying an intricate design. "That is quite an impressive spell you have there, even for someone of your caliber."

Aqua was flattered but she contended. "It's only a simple one. It's not fool-proof or perfect in the least, but it's the most I can manage when I'm not around."

"It can be broken with a simple invitation, isn't that right? Even so, modifying preexisting spells to your specific needs is a skill on its own. 'Spellweaver' is not an empty title for you, it seems."

"But it's still just a title," Aqua said, humbled.

The Master chuckled softly, but he didn't press her. He looked away from the glass door and towards the foggy horizon before them, his eyes unreadable from Aqua's point of view. She accepted the silence that fell upon them, realizing the Master was strangely more talkative than she remembered after his arrival. Their exchange of words was still much less animate than the conversations she had with Ven or her friends, but Aqua always remembered him to be a man of thought and observation rather than one of discussion.

"…This isn't a leisurely visit, is it Master?"

Master Eraqus shook his head, appearing solemn. "No, but we do not have time for formalities. What is the condition of this city?"

Aqua sighed quietly. "I've been releasing Heartless after Heartless and I've never seen Greater demons gather to a specific area as much as this. It's clear that there is a source to them, perhaps multiple sources, but I've found none. Forgive me, Master, but I don't understand my objectives. Aside from the fact that the presence of darkness is considerably negligible during the day hours, I can't find a pattern."

Eraqus closed his eyes, stroking his chin thoughtfully. He turned away from Aqua to face the landscape, considering her account. "The Order would like for you to uphold your basic duties. As for your objective, it remains the same."

"I'm aware—" Aqua said,"—but I still don't understand. I remember you telling me that the balance of Light and Darkness will be disturbed soon, but by whom and why? And how does the Order know about events that have not happened yet? Forgive me again, Master—but I wish to be fully informed about the object of my duties in order to perform at my highest capability."

"You appear to be eager to know more, Aqua. Has this been bothering you for long?"

Aqua looked away uncomfortably even though Master Eraqus still had his back to her. "…I just don't want to be a disappointment again."

The Master sighed deeply, but not from impatience or annoyance. "You were never a disappointment, Aqua. Don't forget that in the eyes of the Order, we are of the same rank. Your skill surpasses many more than you know."

"I feel that I'm only your student before I'm a master hunter," Aqua replied coyly.

"My former student," Eraqus corrected her lightly. "I have nothing left to teach you. You're our youngest and only other master who has the Keyblade at her disposal; that says enough about your capability."

"You credit me more than I deserve, Master. It doesn't seem to matter what I'm capable of, though, if the Order doesn't fully trust me. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but my actions must be irrelevant if I'm barred from the information you have access to."

"They are not," Eraqus said quietly but sharply. Aqua flinched and wondered if she went too far. "Why are you here?" He suddenly asked.

"To maintain the balance between Light and Dark, hunt the wanted, and release all souls who have fallen to Darkness," Aqua answered, her response a recitation from memory. "My second objective is to commit myself to reconnaissance upon your request, sir."

Eraqus nodded approvingly. He raised a hand and muttered a stream of unintelligible words before snapping his fingers. Aqua felt a shiver run through her as she sensed a magical barrier envelope them like a paper-thin dome. She looked up in wonder, puzzled by his intentions.

"We may not be alone—I don't want any part of what I have to say leaving the two of us," Eraqus explained, smoothing a finger over his beard thoughtfully. "Aqua, tell me what happened eleven years ago."

It took her a moment to figure out what Master Eraqus was talking about but she straightened her back immediately when she realized what he was getting to.

-x-X-x-

"_Eleven years ago, the entity Xehanort was defeated after disturbing the order of our world."_

_The Master nodded again. "By a Keyblade wielder just like me and you. Do you understand the Order's intentions yet?"_

_Aqua frowned. "I'm afraid I don't, sir. What does it mean for us if Xehanort was already defeated?"_

_Eraqus lowered his head, his gaze mysteriously turning forlorn and distant. "The entity you call 'Xehanort' was human once, almost forty years from now. It was a long time ago for you, but not for me. He performed certain atrocities and taboo that were considered way beyond the capacity of a normal human. Xehanort twisted the very nature of his entire being beyond repair and ascended in order to accommodate his ideals for a perfect world in Darkness. Prior to the battle you just referred to, he connected the world we both know with the realm of the Darkness Between._

"_There is another reason why he went through such mutilation, but it is just a theory—this may have just been an accidental side effect. After the battle itself, Xehanort's soul, or lack thereof, was corrupted beyond our laws of destruction—" Aqua balked, confused beyond measure from that last statement, but Eraqus cut over her before she could say anything. "—Let me finish. Like I said, this may just be a theory since we cannot find out what really happened that day. I speculate that Xehanort evaded death since he reached a higher plane of existence that surpassed even death itself."_

Aqua mulled over every word the Master said to her as she replayed their conversation in her head. The Master had left an hour ago after Ven had fallen asleep, citing that there were other places he needed to be and that the Order was in dire need. Even in his absence, his words still pervaded her greatly. Night had befallen them and Aqua was seated on the sofa with her legs pulled up and laid flat against the seats as Ventus snoozed peacefully with his head resting on her lap. She tenderly stroked his blonde hair as she looked on, deep in thought.

"_His existence was split between what we will refer to as 'will' and 'emotion'. Aside from the fact that we know they are very real, everything else is lost to us."_

Aqua tilted her head back and Ven shifted without waking.

"_Aqua, I wish I could have it any other way, but you must think of this as war. This city is the epicenter of the disturbance we sense amongst the light. If you truly love this world, if you truly have it within you to protect those you cherish, you must do everything in your power to prevent this city from falling into the void. I would provide you with aid if I could, but the Order is running short."_

Ven shifted again, murmuring something in his sleep as his brow wrinkled. Aqua looked down on him and she gently massaged his temples. His face relaxed almost immediately and he snuggled into the warmth of Aqua's middle before snoring lightly again. She held him close and allowed herself a sad smile as she closed her eyes.

"_To answer that unspoken question of yours before you left… You are aware that your brother lost both his parents before meeting you. They were killed… or rather, murdered by Xehanort himself twelve years ago. It was not that long before Xehanort's alleged demise."_

_Aqua covered her mouth in horror. Eraqus was correct when he stated Aqua knew the fate of Ven's birth mother and father, knowing even more than Ven himself, but she never seriously considered the possibility that he survived such a close brush with the Darkness before they came together. Besides the loss of memory of his three years of life, Ventus never betrayed any lasting trauma over the ordeal. Trying in vain to compose herself, Aqua lowered her hand but when she spoke, her voice trembled. "But Ven…"_

"_Ven is unaware."_

"_But why?" Aqua demanded, her eyes widened as her fists tightened. She breathed in deeply before turning her eyes elsewhere. She never realized such foul play was involved with Ven's forgotten past. If both of his parents were killed, did that mean Ven was still in danger? Why would an ascended being target two innocent people? What didn't she know? "Why doesn't Ven know about this?"_

"_Ventus does not remember the incident, nor does he remember the life he had before as you are well aware, similar to how you do not remember that day from seven years ago, or have matters changed since then?"_

"_They haven't." Aqua turned her head away, betraying less emotion towards the reference to her parents' demise than Ven's. "…So that's the 'reason' Ventus and I were brought together—I think I understand that now, but may I ask you one more question, Master?"_

_Eraqus nodded, inviting her to continue._

"_My parents… My mother and father… Who killed them?"_

The apartment rumbled faintly from the distant clap of thunder before a fresh wave of rain descended upon the earth once again. Aqua felt her chest squeeze as her nose and eyes burned. Ven slept on, undisturbed.

She had anticipated yet dreaded his answer, but Master Eraqus informed her with evident regret that he did not know and Aqua was wise enough not to question him further. The Order was above _personal_ grievances like Aqua's, no matter her past services. She knew if their deaths remained a mystery even seven years later, it would be best not to hope for closure and set herself up for disappointment.

Aqua tried not to let the reminders of the past spoil the rest of their evening together when the three of them sat down for dinner after Aqua dried herself off, compliments to Ven. To her immense relief, the younger boy was oblivious to the tension that lingered and eventually, that too melted away when they gathered around the television to watch a movie. Aqua still had one more question that continued to eat at her for some time, but she relented and pushed it away in favor for one more night with the two she considered her closest family. She was a part of two different worlds, and this was where she needed to draw the line to keep herself sane. With Ven's cheerfulness and their Master's fatherly demeanor, it wasn't hard for Aqua to obtain some peace of mind in their company.

However, with Ven falling asleep and Master Eraqus departing right after, that peace soon left her and the young master couldn't stop thinking about the entity named Xehanort and the question she refused to speak aloud.

_You came to see us on this particular day for a reason, didn't you, Master…?_

Now that she thought it about it, it didn't matter that her last question remained unspoken since she already knew the answer. Ever since she woke up this morning, she felt a strange detachment to the events around her while submerged within deep introspection. Master Eraqus wasn't wrong when he reminded her that she couldn't remember_ that_ day itself, but little did he know, she could never forget the day that followed no matter how hard she tried.

-x-X-x-

_**September 24th, seven years ago.**_

_A young girl nine-years of age watched with leaden eyes as another black car pulled up beside the one that arrived several minutes ago. A tall man she did not know had stepped out to talk with her, but his words only entered one ear to come out the other. He spoke of things she couldn't understand, but the blue-haired girl couldn't bring herself to care. Normally, she world, normally she would be warmer towards such a stranger, but things were not normal. She knew this was not normal, but then again, she didn't know what this _was_._

_The sky rumbled overhead but the girl was shielded from the rain by the tilted roof of the porch she and her cherished brother often lounged under during the summer months. Rainwater fell in streams, splattering her shin with water that splashed up from the pools of rain._

_Her brother trembled, clinging to her side as he soaked her shirt with relentless tears. An arm was wrapped tightly over his back and shoulders as the older child held him protectively. He sniffled and whimpered, and the only thing she could do was hum while she gently rocked him._

_Another person stepped out from the car and began conversing with the man from earlier. She couldn't make out his face very well through the rain and she could barely hear what they were saying, but she didn't care._

"_They're both so young…"_

"_Do you pity them, sir? Neither will tell us a thing, but we only need the girl…"_

_The rest was lost in the pitter-patter of the rain and before long, the newcomer turned away from the other and approached them, holding an umbrella over his head._

"_Hello, Aqua." The voice was gruff, but gentle when it was directed towards them._

_The child named Aqua looked up while her brother continued to huddle against her. The man who stood before her was tall like the first one, but not intimidating. He had dark eyes that reminded her of her own father and the scars that littered his face gave him an earthy, yet surprisingly warm appearance. His black hair was tied up with a single bang falling over the side of his face, partially covering one of his eyes. _

_As if sensing the apprehension creeping into his sister, the younger boy looked up at well, his big blue eyes wide and red from tears. He had a tiny trembling frame and he looked pitiful curled up in the young girl's embrace. _

_Aqua tightened her hold, instinctively drawing her brother in even closer. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Are you here to take Ventus away too?"_

_At the mention of being separated, the little boy named Ventus whimpered and clung to his sister even tighter while his fingers dug holes into her damp shirt. "Aqua…" Aqua kissed him on the head before turning her attention back to the man, expecting his answer._

_Eraqus shook his head. "I am not."_

_The girl frowned. "...Then who are you?"_

_The mysterious man knelt down before them, the umbrella resting against his shoulder. Aqua couldn't help but notice the many lines that were carved into his face, especially around his eyes—this person must be old. "I am a friend of your mother and father's. My name is Eraqus."_

_Aqua's eyes widened but her brother only half-buried his face, threatening to spill tears again. She held his head with one hand while wrapping her other arm around him. "You knew our mom and dad?"_

"_I did, and I'm here to take care of the both of you. I promise you won't be separated if you come with me."_

_Ventus appeared hopeful, his blinking eyes like flashing blue orbs in the dismal weather. "Promise?"_

_Aqua seemed uncertain but she loosened her hold on the boy, opting to clutch his hand instead. She watched as this man who called himself Eraqus nodded. She didn't stop Ven from lifting a hand and extending his pinky. Eraqus looked puzzled for a moment before catching on and taking the pinky with his own finger, gently shaking it. "You have my word."_

_Ventus's shaky smile was fleeting as his eyes teared up again. He cast a glance over his shoulder at the closed door of their home. "Aqua, I don't wanna leave…" He hiccupped._

_The girl seemed torn. She lowered her head and pale blue bangs fell over her glazed eyes. "We can come back maybe…" She stroked his hair, coaxing him to stop his tears._

_Eraqus joined them under the porch and sat down on the steps beside Ventus. He handed the umbrella to the puzzled boy, asking, "It's Ventus, isn't it?" Ven nodded as he accepted the umbrella. "May I have a word with your sister? You can go to the car—we will be right behind you."_

_Ventus blinked and wiped his eyes on his already soaking sleeve. Hesitant, he looked towards Aqua for guidance. The girl was reluctant to let go of her little brother, but Eraqus's patience and gentle gaze beseeched her to relent. She finally gave in and Ven stood up, wiping his nose and face. "It'll be okay." Aqua gently urged him forward and she watched as he ran towards the nearest car with the umbrella clutched tightly between his tiny hands._

"_Your eyes are much too old for your age, Aqua…"_

"_I don't know about that." Aqua turned towards him, brushing her hair away from her face. This man seemed different from the others who came to see her and her brother. They were persistent in trying to separate her from Ven, but she was more persistent than them. Needless to say, they did little to alleviate her apathy towards their concerns. Despite that, she still felt different about this person who radiated the aura of an empathetic father. The old kindness in his dark eyes only compelled her further. "Mister…?"_

"_Yes?"_

_Aqua folded her arms over her knees as she watched another man help her brother into the car. To her relief, the door remained open. "Long time ago, my mom and dad brought home Ven. They told me he lost his own mom and dad and that he was my new brother. I never met him before, but they told me to treat him like family. I didn't get it at first, but now I know it's the adults' job to fix what's broken, right? They were only trying to fix Ven."_

"_Yes, that's true," Eraqus replied._

_Aqua tried to contain a sudden tremor. "Mom never cried. Dad never cried either." She turned her bright cerulean eyes on him. "I know they were strong, Mister. Me and Ven always thought so. If they're not 'here' anymore, then who—?" She stopped when Eraqus placed a finger over her lips._

_He didn't let her continue. "Aqua… there's no need for you to hold back any longer. I asked your brother to leave us for a reason. No one is asking for you to prove yourself—it's okay to cry." _

_The young girl's lip trembled when her eyes widened in surprise once again. For the first time, tears welled up and she hastily wiped them away before biting down to keep her lip still. "I-I don't know—"_

"_Hush." Eraqus pulled the sniffling child into his arms and held her there, tucking her tiny head under his chin. That was enough for her. The girl clutched the front of his shirt and lowered all barriers, wailing pitifully into his chest. He stroked her hair gently as he rocked her back and forth. The child was small and vulnerable in his arms as he felt her frame shake with every sob. "You are not alone."_

_Aqua whimpered when she looked up at him. She wiped her eyes again, but the tears refused to stop after they were finally released. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words left and she resorted to burying her head back into this person's chest for the only comfort she was ever offered._

_Eraqus only held her again, promising everything would be all right. One day, this very child would have to choose to take up the sword and fight. She was young and innocent, but ever since yesterday, Fate condemned her to continue living the rest of her life in turmoil, bearing the same burden he had been given several years ago. For the sake of her brother, this girl was strong, but he knew she would be even stronger in the years to come._

_Until then, however, the girl that clung to him in desperation was still a mere child—a mere child and her brother who lost everything. Everything that is, except for each other._

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: _**_Hurrah, an update just in time for my birthday, which is on Sunday (: I'll be turning 17, but I still feel 15 ha! I wonder where the years went..._

_Anyway, there's some backstory for you. I changed the "Organization" to "Order" to avoid confusion, since they are NOT Org XIII from the games. Not much else to say, but I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thank you Terra ForceXIII, PiggyBlue, MonMonCandie, LightBloom, Flightfoot, Shironami-Whitewave, and Karura Hime for reviewing! Props to LightBloom for beta-ing B) I really appreciate the feedback~_

_Next: Aqua owes a certain someone an apology while those on the sidelines begin to stir._


	6. Incandescence

Aqua carefully cleared the table of the leftover dishes from last night, mindful not to wake Ven up. The younger teen was still snoozing peacefully on the sofa, curled into a tight ball with the blanket wrapped around him to ward off the morning chill. The older sibling almost envied him, but things needed to get done somehow.

Carrying the dishes to the sink to be washed later, Aqua brushed her damp hair back before resting her hands on her hips with a huff, observing the rest of the living room. She was just about to turn around to grab the spray bottle when a black heap caught her eye. Stepping closer to look over the dining table chairs, Aqua realized with a pang that that black heap was Terra's jacket, which had been carelessly shoved in a corner after it probably slipped from its resting place. She bent down to pick it up, carefully smoothing out the wrinkles and brushing the dust that clung to the leather.

She was awful for walking off with the jacket, and she was even more awful for forgetting about it until now. Plagued by self-reproach, Aqua pulled out her phone and stared ruefully at it. There was no doubt she owed Terra a heartfelt apology, but should she call? What if he was upset with her and didn't want to talk about it? It was tempting to set the phone down and put off the apology until tomorrow, where she would see him anyway, but then again, she owed him at least this. Dialing slowly, Aqua breathed in deeply as she held the jacket against her front, its smoky scent still fresh in the air.

**-x-X-x-**

**VI: Incandescence **

**-x-X-x-**

It was dark.

He couldn't see, nor could he breath. He felt his own ribs constrict his lungs like many slender claws as he gasped for breath. No noise left his mouth and no air entered his lungs as his mind spun. He was suspended in void, a soundless and sightless void. He felt his fingers twitch as he struggled to right himself and figure out why he was in such a state.

Just when he couldn't take the pressure any longer, it released him and he found himself able to breath again as a speck of color amongst the perpetual blackness appeared. His deep pools for eyes squinted and he made it out to be a soft blue in the shape of a girl. As he supposedly got closer, Terra realized that it wasn't a girl, but a young woman whose skin was a fair peach while her hair remained that delicate shade of blue.

Unlike him who floated amongst the darkness, this woman stood out against a wall of white. His eyes burned and smarted while he observed her, but he couldn't look away. The woman stood with her shoulder to him and her head bowed with a single hand clutched to her chest. She didn't seem to notice Terra who stared at her with a sort of awe and curiosity. She looked a bit pretty, with those soft-looking locks reminiscent of ocean-swept waves framing her heart-shaped face. Even against the stretch of white, her vivid irises stood out like lights blossoming with a mixture of violet and cyan. Even the way those slender fingers curled into loose fists intrigued him.

She was indeed pretty… but she looked sad as well.

Terra reached out to her, the twinging in his chest compelling him to help her, somehow. This person was hurting and he had to help her—he just had to.

"Hey…" His voice was weak and he forced himself to project it and close the distance between him and the strange young woman. "… Are you lonely?" He wasn't sure why he would ask such a thing all of a sudden, but it felt like the right thing to say.

She looked up at the sound of his voice and when she turned her gaze on him, Terra realized with a pang that there were tears in her eyes—she was crying. "How did you know?" Her voice was clear and gentle, but surprisingly steady, unlike his.

Terra wasn't sure what to say next but he extended his hand towards her, offering an open palm. Once again, it felt like the right thing to do and he wanted to let her know that he was here—he didn't know why, but he was. The woman hesitated, but she too reached forward. Before their fingertips could meet, however, Terra felt the ground disappear beneath him and he reeled.

He was falling again, deeper and deeper until he could no longer see the soles of the young woman's shoes.

It was an odd sensation to be falling with no idea when and where he would land. Terra didn't scream or struggle, but he was afraid to look down, even if the blearing darkness was the only thing he could see—the light from before had long faded along with the young woman.

He had the strangest feeling that he had been through this scenario many times before…

_Hey… Wake up already…_

Soft sheets replaced the empty darkness and Terra found himself laying in his usual bed, half-asleep. His phone was wringing shrilly and he frowned as he reached for it, swearing that it wasn't even noon yet.

His eyes widened in surprise and his heart skipped a beat when he realized that it was Aqua of all people who was calling him. He immediately sat up and rubbed his eyes, wondering what she had to say to him.

_Aqua… Wasn't I just dreaming about her?_

He spent the rest of the day yesterday worrying, even when she _strongly_ insisted that she was fine, which didn't do much to convince him, but he couldn't help but wonder if he had been too intrusive—Aqua clearly didn't want to talk about it, but he had pressed her. The image of her retreating back still haunted him. Was she calling to confront him about it? A voice in his head berated him for over thinking the matter, claiming that it was obviously _her_ problem for pushing him away.

_She must have her reasons_, Terra soundly defended. He cleared his throat, hoping he wouldn't sound too groggy over the phone. He pressed a button and lifted the device to his ear.

"Hello?"

-x-X-x-

Terra looked both ways before crossing the street. He scanned the park gardens for a familiar cerulean-colored head, wondering if she made it here before him. Not wanting to give her the impression that he was a careless flake, he took it upon himself not to be a minute late and here he was at five minutes till six o' clock.

Once he made it through the hedge and topiary, Terra found who he was looking for sitting amongst the grass with her back to him. He felt a little disappointed to know that he _wasn't _going to be the first one here, but he was glad that he wouldn't have to search the entire park for her either.

Aqua was bent forward with her bare knees pulled up to her chest as she looked on, observing the sun setting over the bay that stretched along the horizon before them. Parts of it could still be seen peeking between the tallest buildings of Radiant Garden, casting down its light in countless streams. The surface of the water itself was like a glittering mosaic, reflecting both the buildings and glowing sun alike while rippling to the gentle rhythm of the breeze.

Distracted, it didn't occur to Terra that this was technically a date.

"Hey," he breathed as he sat down besides her, taking his bag of goods with him. Aqua whirled to face him, looking surprised for a moment before her face split into a warm smile.

"Hey," she replied, her expression warming.

Terra grinned. "What? Afraid that I wasn't going to show up?"

"Of course not—I know better," she hummed as she scooted herself to the edge, threading her arms through the railing as she allowed her legs to dangle feet above the water. "Kairi told me she comes here a lot when she needs the fresh air. I thought I'd pay this place a visit. I think it's amazing—my old hometown never had places like these."

"It is quite something; I'm glad Radiant Garden doesn't disappoint you," Terra concurred, planting his palms against the grass as he leaned back casually, allowing his legs to hang over the edge as well. "This is all I know, pretty much—grew up here as far as I can remember. What's your old place like?"

"It was a small place, cold too," Aqua started, tilting her head back thoughtfully. "During this time of the year, it would probably be raining one day, then snowing the next. It was only sunny during the summer."

"Snowing in September, huh?" Terra thought aloud. "It doesn't sound like any place that could be near here."

"Maybe not."

An uncomfortable silence fell upon them when Aqua didn't elaborate. Terra looked at her in concern, wondering if he already said something he shouldn't have. Aqua turned away from him for a moment, rummaging through the bag at her side before pulling out a neatly folded jacket. "I accidentally took it with me…" she explained uncertainly, handing the piece of clothing back to him. He noticed that the jacket was free of any prominent wrinkles and perfectly folded with its sleeves tucked behind the back.

Terra blinked as he accepted it, unfurling it by the sleeves. "It's like how they fold stuff in stores," he observed in awe as he attempted to refold it. Aqua lifted a hand to her mouth as she stifled a giggle, only stopping when she noticed the mysterious packages Terra brought with him.

"Oh, what's that?" She asked, pointing at them.

Terra stopped messing with the sleeves in his attempt to fold them at the right angles as he looked up. "I was afraid you wouldn't ask." He put the jacket aside and opened the bag, pulling out two small boxes that were wrapped in floral-pattered cloth, pinned at the top with a pair of chopsticks. He smiled, handing one of them to Aqua. "This isn't much of a five-star restaurant, but it's still good, I promise. I hope you like teriyaki."

Aqua's expression seemed to brighten when she took the box into her hands, treating it as if it were made of glass. "I love it… Did Ven tell you that?" Aqua asked, pretending to be suspicious as she tried not to smile too widely. Terra chuckled inwardly.

"Possibly." He whistled and Aqua only laughed as she shook her head before the two set to unwrapping their dinner and laying the cloth over their laps like napkins. Terra allowed Aqua to take the first bite, anticipating her first reaction.

She hummed in approval after swallowing down her food. "It's tastes wonderful… Thank you, Terra."

Terra had to bow his head so Aqua wouldn't see how brightly he was beaming. He poked at the grains of rice, feeling relief wash over him when he figured he _was_ over thinking about yesterday's incident.

"…You're welcome."

-x-X-x-

The sun dipped under the horizon and the sky was dyed a deep red in its wake. The two teenagers moved away from the edge of the bay to rest under a nearby birch tree instead. Their respective boxes lay half-open at their sides, scraped clean of any food. Aqua had her chopsticks neatly placed over the lid as she sat back, her hands folded over her lap while Terra sat opposite of her. It was getting late, and they both knew about curfew, but neither of them stood up to leave.

Aqua brushed her hair back behind her ear as she snuck several cautious glances towards Terra. She deliberated about whether she should go on with her planned apology—that was what she was here for in the first place after all, but… he looked so _content_ just sitting there and facing the deep glow of the setting sun—Aqua didn't want to ruin that. She couldn't help but notice how perfectly his cobalt eyes captured the light of dusk. Even his irises of the deepest blue appeared golden from the sunbeams. When he blinked, the hue vanished and Aqua looked away, intertwining her fingers together as she fiddled with her thumbs indecisively.

It was now or never, and Aqua's reproachful heart pushed her to go on.

"I owe you an apology," she began softly, forcing herself to fix her gaze on him.

Terra frowned as he leaned forward. Aqua already predicted what he would ask. "What are you talking about? If it's about yesterday—"

Aqua shook her head, silencing him. "It's about everything, Terra. I… I wasn't being honest with you." She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, closing her eyes as she listened to her own breathing. She knew Terra was waiting for her to go on, but her resolve was fading fast and her words refused to leave her throat.

_Why… Why am I so afraid to say it?_

Aqua felt a chill in the air, and she couldn't tell if it was because of her cautious self, Terra's presence, or just the plain night itself. It was probably the latter, Aqua decided, as she opened her eyes to the sound of rustling grass only to find Terra standing up. She grimaced and aimed to let it all go, but the two hands that reached out to gently grab her by the shoulders forced her to rethink her position.

"It's okay," Terra said quietly, tilting her chin up so their eyes could meet. He nodded reassuringly and sat back down again, right beside her this time. "If you want to talk like that, then can you forgive me for yesterday?"

Aqua laughed despite herself, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Terra, you idiot, there's nothing for me to forgive. I'm supposed to be the one apologizing here."

"You keep telling yourself that," he replied lightly, playing with a patch of grass. He plucked a stem of clover and gingerly tucked it behind her ear, adjusting it to make sure it would stay. Aqua batted his hand away, but it was all in good humor.

Terra continued, "Do you trust us, Aqua?"

Aqua fingered the sprig of clover that now adorned her hair, but she didn't remove it. "I… I trust you guys."

Terra nodded again and Aqua looked at him, wondering what he was trying to prove to her.

"I had a feeling there was something more to you, that maybe I wasn't getting the whole story, but I understand why that might've been the case."

Aqua wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean for her—she didn't expect that sort of response from him. "You knew?"

"Aqua," Terra began, picking grass seed from a stalk. "It's in the way you walk, the way you carry yourself, and even in the way you smile. Everyone sees you as the girl you try to be, but I see someone else. I see someone who reminds me of myself, albeit someone better to be honest with you."

Aqua lifted a hand to her chest, her fingers curling into a weak fist as she silently thanked the dusk for its cover. "I don't understand…"

Terra sprinkled the grass seed over the ground, watching the soft specks of green disappear between the many nooks and crevices. "The both of us are missing something, no… _someone_. I think one of the saddest things a human being can feel is loneliness, you know? Sometimes the feeling itself can be so overbearing, that even when it finally leaves us, we get a look that never leaves our eyes. I guess some people would call it a scar." He sighed deeply and turned his gaze on her, his eyes gleaming in the dimness. "But I don't mean to make any assumptions about you like that."

Aqua shook her head and plucked her own sprig of clover, gently placing it in Terra's lap. "What was it that you lost?"

"A family," he answered without hesitating, tilting his head to the side as he gazed up at the moon that hid itself behind a smudge of clouds. Aqua noticed that he didn't say _'my family'_ as if he were detached to such a concept. "I grew up in a shelter until an uncle formally recognized our relation, but that's only after I met Zack. When I think about the day my parents say I'm no longer wanted and that's the only option they have, the line between blood and friendship blurs a little, you know? What people call 'blood' sort of loses its meaning, I guess. Either way, the heart has a way of filling in the holes, and Zack filled mine—he was the closest friend and family I had."

"… Blood is meaningless, but family isn't—Ven is mine," Aqua murmured, counting the parallels. "I don't know what you really see in me, Terra, but I see someone strong within you. You are who you are because of everything that has happened to you. Your life is the way it is because that's the way you make it to be." She smiled sadly, brushing her fingers against the clover again. "Seeing you take control of your own fate, no matter how little the details are… I think I might envy that a little."

"Well, I think you have a lot more power over your own life than you realize, Aqua," Terra replied.

"Power?" Aqua shook her head. "After… after my parents passed away seven years ago—" She paused briefly, surprised with how easily she let those words go when she had just been choking on them only moments before. "—I had never felt so helpless to put back together my own life, but Ventus took it even harder than I did, and he depended on me to look out for him. I couldn't wait around in my own sadness when he needed me."

"I'm sorry." Terra lowered his gaze and Aqua wondered if he pitied her. She bit her lip and looked away from him as well. "… But what are you trying to prove to Ven, Aqua?"

Aqua deliberated, reflecting back on the day her master touched on something similar to assuage her vulnerability. How ironic it was for such a sentiment to resurface now, and with someone like Terra no less. She wondered with saturnine amusement whether his intentions were the same as her master's all those years ago. Strangely, she found it likely enough. "Nothing—" she finally answered, looking down at her own hands, "—at least, not anymore. I don't have anything left to prove to him, but I still have to look out for him, you know?"

"That you do," Terra replied, nodding. He shifted his weight and leaned on his opposite hand, scratching his head with the other. "Well, you know we can't have a Ventus running around unsupervised."

Aqua smiled. "Of course not—he's with the other boys."

"Axel too? Careful there, he's a bad influence."

"Nope," Aqua chuckled, "Just Sora and Roxas—they're innocent enough, right? Anyway, I hope they're home by now, it's three hours till curfew isn't it?"

"Something like that…" Terra frowned with a mixture of worry and discontentment. "Even so, officers don't approve of kids like us walking around after sunset. None of us like it since it wasn't like this before—but it's understandable."

"Yeah, but it won't last forever, right?" Aqua asked, her reassuring tone reflecting none of the afflictions she felt from within. She clenched a fist hidden from Terra's view as she realized that of course there would be some sort of connection with her inability to keep up and subdue the darkness that festered within the bowels of the city. The growing fear that threatened the people correlated with her own actions and ability. Her restrictions and the unspoken rule to always maintain a state of ignorance for the others and a state of secrecy for herself only complicated matters further—not that she would have that any other way. She could never wish such a life on an innocent person, and she was left to wonder if Axel was a result of her incompetence.

Ifrit had warned her against a future filled with loss, but how could she trust a demon? A demon bound by a contract, but still a chimera of human fear and distrust.

Then again, contracts under the Order were not exactly forbidden. Aqua had her own after all.

"You're doing it again," Terra accused, bringing Aqua back out of her thoughts. She opened her mouth to apologize but he was only smiling warmly… His expression was curiously reminiscent of Ven or even Master Eraqus's many attempts to ease her worries. "You'll have gray hair in a year if you keep that up."

Aqua bumped her fist against his side in protest, careful not to actually hurt him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Of course I'm only joking," Terra backtracked as he held up both hands. Aqua rolled her eyes and playfully shoved him over. The brunette only laughed as he lay across the grass and Aqua couldn't help but grin as well, her bright orbs twinkling—it felt good to smile like that.

"We should probably go, it's a school night anyway," Aqua said as she stood up, brushing the loose grass from her shorts and legs. She took the plastic box from earlier and carefully placed it into her bag, which she slung over her shoulder.

Terra groaned as he covered his face. "I haven't even finished the lab write-up for biology. Do you think Even will accept it late?"

Aqua sighed airily with a tinge of pity. "Well, you're the one who's had him for over a month now, not me, but I hope so, for your sake."

Terra sat up and furiously rubbed his hair get rid of the grass. "If you tutor me in math or science, I'll teach you a thing or two about martial arts."

Aqua only chuckled as she stuck out her tongue, extending a hand to him. "What if I say I can probably take you on any day?"

Terra tilted his head as he accepted the help, his grin crooked and slightly skeptical. "You're amazing, Aqua, but I'll have you know that only Zack has the slightest chance of taking me down. Zack is Zack and you're… well, you're a snowflake."

Aqua narrowed her gaze in feigned annoyance. "I could flip you for that if I wasn't such a nice person."

Terra's grin merely widened in response and Aqua wondered why he had to be such a _boy_ sometimes.

She was about to turn around and ask where he was going to go, but the other suddenly swayed on the spot before falling forward. Without thinking, Aqua moved fast and caught him by the middle before he could hit the ground. Supporting him, Aqua's face contorted with worry as she brushed his bangs back so she could see his face. "Terra…?" To her growing apprehension, she sensed a disruption within the workings of his heart.

Terra's eyes were closed shut, but they were trembling as if he were experiencing a sudden dream. His hand lurched and Aqua realized that she had been clutching it without realizing. Stunned and confused, Aqua shook him as she anxiously asked, "Answer me, what's wrong?"

Terra's eyes suddenly snapped back open and Aqua almost dropped him out of alarm. His breathing returned to normal as he shakily straightened himself, reluctantly using Aqua for support. The young woman only let go of her companion after making sure he wouldn't fall over again.

Terra rubbed his face with the back of his hand and when he spoke, his voice was suddenly strained and tired, although Aqua could tell he was trying to hide it. "Sorry… I just got dizzy for a moment there."

"You scared me," Aqua said wearily, rubbing the side of her arm. "Are you all right, Terra?"

"I'm fine," he murmured. He put on a faint smile, which could barely be seen in the darkness. "It happens sometimes, so it's no big deal, okay?"

Aqua was far from convinced but she didn't press it. "Let's go home, you probably just need your rest."

Terra nodded and they both left their spot from under the birch tree after gathering whatever possessions they brought. Aqua noticed that his first steps were wobbly, but he succeeded in steadying himself after that.

Aqua bit down on her tongue, uncertain whether she should speak her mind. It would be so easy to cure the fatigue with a simple spell, but she knew performing unnecessary magic in front of those who were "unaware" was forbidden—curing the headache from the other week was already pushing it, even after having Terra close his eyes.

Even so, "Terra?"

"Hm?"

"If…" Why did she sound so nervous? Clearing her throat, Aqua continued, "If you need to, come see me, okay?" She couldn't use magic so freely, but she could at least assess him since that was better than nothing. "I'm not a doctor, but that's the least you can do for your well-being since you can't even take yourself to a hospital."

_It's like all we do is worry for each other…_

Terra chuckled. "Yeah, you're all I've got."

Aqua huffed at his burlesque words, but she was smiling. She decided to leave it at that as they followed the cobblestone path out of the park. The streets were empty, the lamps were burning, and the night was peaceful. As they walked together side-by-side, Aqua reached out with her consciousness in search of the distinctive presence of demons and the like. She found none and wondered if a perfect world would consist of tranquil nights such as this.

"Aqua?"

The way he said her name made her turn her head to look at him, blinking curiously as she invited him to go on. "Yes?"

Terra didn't speak for a moment and Aqua supposed he was carefully considering his words. She remained silent, patiently waiting for him to speak up again.

His pace slowed to a stop and Aqua halted as well, turning around to face him with curiosity. They stood beneath a lamppost, bathed in its deep amber light. Terra's irises were almost glowing when he tilted his chin up to look at her straight in the eyes. "While we were talking today… I wanted to say something else—" He paused for a second, "—But I didn't know exactly what. Funny, huh?"

Aqua tilted her head, frowning slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Aqua," he said her name again as he continued to hold her with his steady gaze. "You're not alone, you know."

Her eyes widened as she felt that familiar, but well-missed warmth spark within her chest. Lifting a closed hand to her heart, her lips curved upwards to reflect the new found feeling. She didn't really understand how his mind worked, or what motivated him to say such a thing out of the blue, but something small and tiny shuddered within her at the sound of those words.

Smiling still, Aqua dipped her head as she allowed her blue orbs to rest under the lamplight. "I'll remember that."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: _**_There's some nice Terra-Aqua bonding time for you :) _

_Last week has been super busy for me. PSAT prepping is a pain and I'm helping with planning my school's Homecoming. Im barely 17, but I swear teenagers can be the most frustrating people to work with haha, no wonder I will probably never survive being a teacher :P_

_Based on last chapter's "sneak peek" (which wasn't really a sneak peek to be honest), this chapter originally had more to it, but I decided to split it into two parts because I was already closing in on the 5000 word-mark. You guys probably would've had to wait another two weeks for this chapter if I went on xD_

_Much thanks to Terra ForceXIII, TalkativeWriter4, Shironami-Whitewave, and MonMonCandie for your reviews! Reading and Reviewing is much appreciated, and I'd love it if you'd drop me some feedback ;D Last but not least, thank you LightBloom for being my beta~_

_Next Chapter: Kairi complicates things with her talk of dating while Riku's suspicions begin to manifest. Vanitas doesn't seem intent on making life easier on Aqua either._


	7. The OneSided Reunion

"_Hey mister… Aren't you a little cold?"_

**-x-X-x-**

**VII:** The One-Sided Reunion

**-x-X-x-**

"You know, Homecoming is only in a couple of weeks."

"What?" Aqua blinked as she looked at her friend inquisitively. The two of them passed through the door and out of their fourth period class for lunch, dodging the crowd as they went along. "I don't know, Kairi—two weeks is a pretty long time."

Kairi scoffed, flipping her deep red hair half-jokingly. "As if, it takes almost a month to prepare for these types of things. Everyone is already asking each other for a date, but it's just the freshmen who get super excited about it."

_Date? _Aqua thought to herself, raising an eyebrow. Why was Kairi suddenly talking about dating? "I'm not sure what you're talking about. What is Homecoming anyway?"

Kairi stopped dead in her tracks. Aqua did as well, turning around in confusion. The younger girl's jaw was hanging open and the junior wondered what in the world was so surprising. "Oh _no, _Girl." The redhead grabbed the blunette by the arm and dragged her with surprising strength and determination away from the crowd and behind the building. Kairi pushed Aqua against the wall, grasping her by the shoulders. She didn't like that devious look creeping onto her friend's face.

"You poor, poor, _poor,_depraved girl—"

"—I think it's _deprived__—"_

"—Didn't _your_ old school have Homecoming?"

"W-well—" Aqua stammered, looking away. So Kairi was talking about something standard. "—It was a really small onel. We probably didn't have enough money for those month-long preparations, you know?"

Kairi's eyes narrowed into blue-violet slits that scrutinized Aqua with suspicion and incredulity. She finally sighed and backed off, resting her hands on her hips. "I guess it can't be helped." She raised a finger and her typical innocent-self returned as she winked. "Then this will be another chance for us to make your first year here extra special! It's decided, Aqua, you're coming with us."

It was Aqua's turn to balk. "Wait a moment—"

Kairi shook her head, her smile turning devious. "I'll take no excuses and I'm sure the other girls won't either once I tell them. It'll be perfect, don't you see?"

No, Aqua did not see at all. Kairi was talking about some mysterious celebration that apparently induced a dating frenzy for the sake of a single event. All this was for nothing as far as she could tell and frankly, Aqua found it quite silly. "I don't know, Kairi. I have a tight schedule, but I'll think about it."

Kairi huffed, pouting. "Fine, but maybe you'll be more convinced if you had a date. Has anyone asked you?"

Aqua felt her cheeks burn at the (almost) innocent question. "W-why in the world would anyone ask someone like me?"

"Oh, well I don't know—" She giggled, beaming. Her face was almost glowing with stored excitement that Aqua could hardly understand. "—Maybe because you're nice and super pretty? Come on, there's no way you can be that clueless, even if you were half-blind. Don't you notice the way other guys stare at you when we walk by?"

"Oh _whatever_—don't tease me like that, Kairi. I hardly even know anyone." Aqua swore her cheeks must've deepened in color by now when she gave her a little push, laughing to hide her embarrassment. No way this girl was being a hundred percent serious with her. "Well then, what about you?"

It was Kairi's turn to blush as she quickly turned away to face the front, clasping her hands together nervously. "Well… I was hoping that… You know, never mind. It's the guy that's supposed to ask the girl out, and he… well, he'll probably never notice."

Aqua was bemused as she huffed, patting Kairi atop the head. "Why don't you ask him yourself then?" she suggested, trying her best to sympathize.

"Because it doesn't work that way," she whined. "I don't know, Aqua. Maybe I will ask him if worst comes to worst."

"Worst comes to worst? Well, it wouldn't be a bad thing if you were the one to ask. You want a date with this boy, don't you? You might as well prove it."

"That's true, I suppose," Kairi replied, nodding as if she were trying to convince herself. She bit her nails and looked down thoughtfully. Aqua only sighed, slightly amused as she smiled encouragingly. "You make it sound so simple and easy."

"Isn't it?" Aqua gave her a gentle nudge with both hands. "Go save our spot, the others are probably wondering where we are but I'll meet you there in a bit, okay?"

Kairi looked over her shoulder, frowning. "What about you? Are you ditching us again?"

"Eh, that was only once before! I just need to fix myself up in the restrooms, all right?"

Kairi shook her head, giggling slightly. "Oh relax, Aqua, I'm just kidding. I'll be seeing you in a bit then." With that, she hurried off, determined not to let the rest of the crowd beat her to their desirable lunch spot.

Aqua huffed, the smile still lingering on her lips. After making sure the redhead was out of her sight, Aqua turned on her heels and proceeded to run in the opposite direction, intent on cornering that sharp presence that stood out from the rest like a sore thumb.

She had immediately sensed the flicker of darkness midway through her conversation with Kairi. Its sudden appearance demanded a sense of urgency and it took a fair amount of willpower to keep a straight face in front in Kairi. Even so, Aqua was still inclined to be more sensitive towards the presence of Light, but this person was an exception and the Keyblade master found nothing of the sort in that mangled apparatus of a heart.

Aqua was taught that _Light_ was a vague term to describe anything—the same went for _Darkness_. Between the two aforementioned sides that applied to physical, mental, and spiritual worlds, was a gray area. Gray was gray, but Aqua often classified different sides of the gray spectrum with one of the two extremes. Vanitas wasn't even that. Happiness and compassion were associated with _Light_, but the boy's heart didn't even have the faintest sliver of it.

Even the more sentient demons weren't composed of absolute darkness and it was unsettling to find nothing but a multitude of negative feelings when Aqua experienced the brief lapse with the boy. Ironically, the unforgettable fear from the week before provided her with enough motivation to find him again. Ifrit's confirmation and Axel's testimony of foul play only compelled her further to seek answers.

During the several days that passed between now and their last encounter, Vanitas succeeded in evading her every move with infuriating artifice, only appearing when she found it most inconvenient. Subconsciously, Aqua began to associate those yellow eyes with those of a conniving fox and she almost despised him for it.

Whirling around a corner and unable to stop herself in time, Aqua slammed straight into the chest of another student, sending a flurry of papers flying into the air and a thick binder flopping to the floor. It's contents spilled at their feet as Aqua fell back on her rear just from the sheer force of the impact. Dazed and sore, the young woman didn't even register the damage she caused until after she regained her senses. When she did, the effects were immediate.

"Oh _no_," she gasped, scrambling onto her knees. She hastily but accurately returned every object to its place within the binder, hurrying to collect the papers after. "I'm so sorry—I didn't mean to run into you like that." Picking up every sheet and stacking them in a matter of seconds, Aqua straightened herself and handed the stack back to the student.

"It's fine," he said mildly, accepting the binder without so much as a downward glance. A pair of bright turquoise eyes stared dispassionately at Aqua through silver fringe before traveling downwards. Aqua tried not to frown as she uttered another apology before moving to continue on her way, trying not to think about the sudden chill that ran down her spine.

_What an odd person, why did he look at me like that?_

Aqua faltered when she saw his arm move from the corner of her eye. She turned around just as the hand rose to lightly grab her by the arm to prevent her from leaving. Quietly startled by the imposing gesture, Aqua shrugged him off as politely as possible while waiting for him to explain himself.

For what seemed like several minutes to her, the two just stared at each other with calm patience on Aqua's part and harrowing scrutiny on his. Somewhere in there, Aqua realized with a sinking feeling that this was Sora's best friend and that _he __was __trying __to __stare __holes __into __her_.

In reality, it had been only a few seconds before the young man finally spoke, his voice oddly quiet. "I like your keychain."

"Huh?" Aqua looked down, following his gaze to find her silver raindrop charm dangling from her pocket, the set sapphire glinting in the sunlight. She wrapped her hand around the keychain, hiding it from the other's view slipping it back into her pocket. "Oh, this you mean? Thanks, it's a charm I just bought so it would've been pretty bad if I dropped it," she told him, smiling to mask the unsettling feeling brewing in the pit of her stomach.

"Right. You should be more careful next time."

"Yeah, I'm really sorry again." She quickly bowed her head and walked off, the false smile melting from her face after she turned around again. Pushing her bemusement towards his spontaneous comment to the side, Aqua bit her lip as a different sort of concern filled her already troubled eyes. The inkling feeling that those unwavering sea-green eyes were piercing her back with their sharp gaze was probably imaginary too.

-x-X-x-

Aqua followed the growing presence of darkness with varying amounts of difficulty to a small grove of trees found on the campus. The area was partially isolated from the circle of activity that took place during lunchtime and Aqua assumed that most of the other students were discouraged from coming here by the sheer inconvenience of walking across campus to find a decent resting spot.

_It__'__s __nice,_Aqua remarked, _but __too __bad __it __reeks __of __Darkness._

"Having trouble there, Princess?"

Feeling a leaf drift down before settling on her head, Aqua looked up to find the familiar shadow of a boy leering down at her. "I'm getting the impression that you like looking down on the heads of people, Vanitas."

Vanitas snorted. "You know my name, I'm flattered." He allowed both legs to slip over the edge before jumping down from his place on the gnarled branch. Aqua stepped back to give him room as he landed, sending a small cloud of leaves and dried grass into the air. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Funny, since you were so dead set on finding out what happened to Axel and Roxas. Did you figure it out yet?"

Aqua frowned, but she didn't let him bait her. Strangely enough, she found it easier to relax in his presence compared to the first time they met. "I want to talk to you and I guess you were thinking the same thing if you've been waiting for me here."

"Oh, you got me," Vanitas said, smirking slightly. "I thought today would be a good day, you know? I've been so bored with running away from someone like you. So what's on your mind—here to condemn me for the darkness going rampant?"

Aqua shook her head and to the other's surprise, she took a seat in the grass, folding her legs as she waited for him to do the same. Vanitas only stood there defiantly before Aqua glared up at him, darkly muttering, "_Sit._"

The black-haired teen obeyed despite himself, and Aqua was oddly satisfied with the disgruntled look that replaced his smug expression. "Only because I don't feel like standing," he sniffed.

Aqua disregarded him as she closed her eyes and folded her hands together, softly repeating the short spell she memorized from her master during his visit. Slowly but surely, a glowing veil enveloped the pair like a glass dome. The veil flashed once before fading into complete invisibility. The young woman reopened her eyes as Vanitas whistled lowly.

"A little bird told me it was forbidden to perform magic in the open like this," he said, his snide tone suggesting that she was probably in for some trouble.

The blunette raised an eyebrow as she lowered her hands back down to the ground. She wasn't sure how much he knew about the Order or it's rules and it was possible that he didn't know about the Order at all, but Aqua was confident that he wasn't totally ignorant to the existence of magic; otherwise, she wouldn't have performed the spell in the first place. "I'm not allowed to use magic in front of Innocents," she corrected lightly, "and I doubt you count as one. Anyway, no one will be able to listen in on us and like I said, I want to talk to you."

"Then you must be serious if you think the both of us have something to hide."

"You might be right, as much as I hate to admit it out loud," Aqua said, discreetly resting a hand over her right pocket, "But you have no where left to run—I'm tired of chasing after you. Vanitas, tell me what happened the night that forced Axel to sign a contract with Ifrit. I'm asking you again, what happened to both him and Roxas?"

Vanitas stiffened for only a split second before leaning back slightly as he folded his arms behind his head. He took his sweet time in answering, and Aqua knew she should've expected no less from him. "I don't know a thing."

Aqua narrowed her eyes. "Then you better ask that little bird of yours again. Don't act like you have no idea what I'm talking about—you've formed a contract yourself, haven't you?"

The younger boy's yellow eyes widened in surprise before he suddenly burst out laughing, holding his stomach with one hand. "A contract? May be the case, but you make it sound I'm _depending_ on someone else. As if, this power is _mine_." He smirked as he extended an arm. Aqua couldn't help but tense up and grasp the metallic keychain in apprehension as a ball of black flame burst from the other's arm, sending out a flurry of inky feathers floating to the ground. Vanitas himself began to glow with a dark aura as the air beneath the dome grew heavy with the presence of darkness. The miasma spiraled upwards, giving Aqua the impression that he was sprouting smoky wings…

The aura slowly feathered out as the sphere of dark flames faded into nothing, leaving behind a large black raven perched on the young man's wrist. It hunched its wings, turning its head without moving the rest of its body as it fixed its unblinking red eyes on Aqua. Vanitas brought the creature closer to himself, observing it with prideful arrogance as he stroked its feathered skull. "Beautiful, isn't he? I'm sure that you of all people know that the first demons were born from the emotions of human beings."

Aqua wrapped the chain of her charm around her fingers as her other free hand twitched with the anticipation to use magic if the situation called for it. "Yes, and the ones that followed after were the corrupted souls and hearts consumed by those demons, but what are you saying exactly?" Aqua already had her suspicions—seeing Vanitas summon a creature of pure darkness without the use of an incantation or visible contract made her uneasy. She had a theory, but the young warrior found it nigh impossible to be true…

Vanitas only chuckled as he shook his head. "Are you really that dense? I can't believe I have to dumb this down even more. I can replicate those ancient processes by drawing out the fear and anger of other people, no matter how deeply it's buried within their pathetic little hearts. All it takes is a bit of contact and concentration." He shrugged casually. "I can then take whatever emotions I have and shape them into extensions of myself—it's like an art."

Her theory was true then, Vanitas had the ability to manipulate the abstract element of emotions into living nightmares. Even so, the Keyblade master found it hard to believe he was telling the truth. In all her years of studying magic and the history of both light and darkness, she had never heard of any one person possessing that degree of control over Darkness while retaining their humanity.

"Any art of the darkness is a dangerous one," Aqua apprised wearily. "You don't normally send those things after people, do you? So then why did you hurt those two?"

Vanitas took a moment to think in silence as he rubbed the neck of his raven with a single finger. "…I never said I did. These extensions are my eyes and ears around town and my power extends as far as human feelings go. As much as I hate this cowardly race, dead and corrupted hearts are no good to me, so why would I try to kill good ol' Roxas? To answer your question, _something_ bad probably happened if the monster you call Ifrit came to Axel—" he rolled his eyes "—which you know already."

He didn't seem to be lying about that and Aqua almost let out a sigh of relief. This person gave her an awful impression and she couldn't say that she liked him all that much, but she didn't want to be forced into another fight. "If you don't care about people like us, then why are you keeping such a close watch on the city?"

"You ask so many damn questions," the other groaned as he dismissed the raven by throwing it into the air. The creature spread its wings and in a flurry of smoke and feathers, it vanished as quickly as it appeared. "Believe it or not, I'm just as annoyed with the Heartless infestation as you are."

Aqua arched a brow as she stood back up, nodding slightly as she did so. It seemed to be an unlikely thing for him to say, but the more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Even if this boy was lying to her, it wouldn't do her any good to waste her own time like this for any longer. The raven he summoned was a being of darkness, but it wasn't a Heartless. She didn't find it surprising that Vanitas would consider the lesser demons as a threat to his… authority? She wasn't sure what to call it, but power struggles, no matter how strange, were not uncommon. "That will do, I just wanted to know if you were responsible. Thank you."

Vanitas blinked as he took a second to allow her words to sink in before sitting back up. "Wait, you're done already?"

Aqua felt the corner of her mouth twitch as she held back a complacent smile with his sudden change in demeanor. It was strangely pleasing to see that smug look of his vanish. "I hope you don't mind—I was getting the idea that you were annoyed with my questions."

Vanitas snorted as he crossed his arms, blowing a few strands of dark hair away from his face. "Whatever, I just thought you were here to give me some self-righteous lecture. I knew it wasn't a coincidence that someone like you just moved in right after the darkness took a hold within this city. Obviously you would hate someone like me, that's your job, isn't it?"

"We have our differences," Aqua replied, "But it wouldn't be fair for either of us if that was the case—we only just met so I don't hate you."

Vanitas seemed genuinely taken aback with that comment. She could tell he was trying to mask his surprise as he looked away, scratching his head. "You're annoying, but I don't hate you too… I guess," he said through clenched teeth, "And I didn't mean to, you know… drag out your emotions like that. Only… _certain_ people can see my creations, so I got excited, but only because of that!"

Aqua looked down at her hand, turning it so that the back of her wrist was facing her. The red mark left by Vanitas already vanished weeks ago, but the feeling of that intense rush of fear and paralysis was still fresh on her mind. At least she knew that the fear was her own, and not a creation induced by Vanitas. However, it still didn't explain where those emotions actually came from, and why they had such a powerful hold on her.

"I take that as an apology, so I guess I can forgive you." Aqua smiled slightly, knowing by his pride that that was probably going to be the best she was going to get. She raised a hand and offered it to him, deciding to take a chance with the teenager. There was only one way to find out if the fleeting anguish he caused her was intentional or not. "I'm not going to be afraid anymore, so let's shake on it."

At first, Vanitas only stared at her hand, distrustful. Then with his amber eyes gleaming under the sunlight, he stood back up and accepted the hand, briefly shaking it. His hands were dry and abnormally cold, but to her immense relief, that was about it. Satisfied, she allowed her hand to leave his grasp and return to her side.

"Your friend still hates me with a passion," he murmured suddenly, face sullen and bitter.

"Terra?" Aqua bit her lip and looked downwards. "I don't know why."

"I do," Vanitas said, antipathy evident in his voice. "It's not like I can really control the effect I have on other people—not that I care—and he probably hates me for that since he can't even handle his own pent-up emotions. I'm just someone he blames for his own faults."

"That's an awful lot to assume," the young woman pointed out, not liking what he was suggesting about her friend.

"I'm not blind—your friend is probably as real as you are."

"Terra _is_ my friend. What gives you the right to judge him?" She asked, ignoring the snide remark aimed at herself.

Vanitas laughed harshly and she cringed at the sound. "How well do you think you know him? In fact, how well do you think you know anyone? Humans are liars and cowards by nature no matter how we look at it, and it's a little sad watching you fight so hard for them. Just save yourself and leave them all alone, Aqua."

-x-X-x-

-x-X-x-

It was the park where thousands of crickets chirped the night away, hiding amongst the blades of grass and dewy trees. Every light within Radiant Garden had long gone out after the residents of the quaint city retired within the safety of their own homes for the night.

Only during this period of night did the stars show themselves, twinkling feebly in the face of the moon. Beneath the moon's pearly light were two more lights weaving together over the surface of the rippling bay. They glowed with a pulsating blue light, reminiscent of the stars themselves, leaving behind twin trails of light resembling flowing tails.

The pair of lights gradually made a turn before shooting upwards when they reached the cement barrier separating water from land. Swishing their tails triumphantly, the fish-shaped figures swum around their master before returning to her open palms.

Aqua smiled gently at their antics as she cupped her hands together, allowing the two turquoise-colored goldfish to settle down and rest. "Anything?"

_No, no Heartless at all._

_We looked everywhere, we promise. Sorry, Missus. _

Aqua lightly stroked each of the fish on the head with her thumb. They wiggled appreciatively in response, flicking their translucent fins about. "No, that'll do. Thank you Shio, Nami. Can you go report this to the Master for me? I wish he'd get a phone or something so I wouldn't have to trouble you two to go find him."

_It__'__s __okay, __we __can __ask __the __Order, _Nami assured her, leaving the comfort of her master's hand to float in front of her face instead.

Shio followed. _Do __you __need __us __to __deliver __something __to __them __too?_

Aqua shook her head. "No, I'll include it into the report I have to write for them anyway. That'll be all—I'll call you two later if I need to."

The goldfish turned their bodies halfway as if in a nod before vanishing within a flash of light, leaving none of their blue splendor behind. Aqua sighed when she blinked the burning imprint in her vision away, resting her elbows over the iron fence that divided land from the water of the bay. The park was peaceful as ever, even more so since no one was out walking about.

Aqua stood at the same spot near the birch tree she and Terra shared during their evening together. The grass, the trees, and the water were the same as ever and despite the boredom that resulted, Aqua quietly thanked the lack of heartless for the peaceful night after a tiring day.

The faint sound of the waves lapping against the side of the concrete barrier lulled her closer and closer towards sleep, but Aqua fought against the soothing rhythm. She had to remain diligent, but even so…

Her meeting with Vanitas still bothered her as she tried to make sense of what he said. "As if I would give up on people like that..."

_Terra__… __Why __do __you __hate __him __so __much?_ Aqua thought to herself, looking down to stare absentmindedly at the dancing reflection of the moon on the water's surface. She had to admit it was probably generous of her to say that Vanitas had a less-than-pleasant demeanor. After all, he practically _invaded_ her emotions with a mere touch, but he wasn't an entirely horrible person if she could say so herself. He cooperated, if a bit reluctantly, with her awkward attempts at reconciliation.

Even so, the boy's close affiliation with darkness was troubling, even more so than her first meeting with Ifrit (although she was rather angry than scared at the time).

Her master had always taught her that nothing good could come out of the darkness, that it was a cancer that needed to be destroyed, so were those dangerous contracts worth it? Aqua didn't like it, but she couldn't bring herself to truly _hate_ them, and for their sake, she hoped the Order would never find out. She stood on the front lines alone, and they would probably make it her duty to eliminate that cancer, one demon at time.

As a master, Aqua never received a black card that ordered one's execution. Cutting down waves of Heartless was no problem, but the young woman wondered if she had the heart destroy anything with a face.

_But I swore to protect this world's light… Maybe I'm not really cut out for this, but does the darkness really need to be eliminated completely?_

Aqua clenched her eyes shut and shook her head violently. _If __the __Master __knew __you __were __thinking __about __this__… __Worse, __if __he __knew __about __the __people __you__'__ve __met__…_

The blunette deeply sighed again, her chest deflating. She lifted her gaze to the unblinking moon, musing about how close she felt to its presence. With the sun and her familiars gone, Aqua was alone, alone except for it…

"It's beautiful isn't it?"

Aqua whirled around to face the vaguely familiar voice that came out of nowhere. _Terra__—__?_

No, she realized this person wasn't Terra after getting a better look. The stranger was dressed in a deep black blazer with matching gloves and pants. Unlike Terra's dark and shorter style, long gray locks fell over his shoulders in messy layers with each strand of hair gleaming like silver under the moonlight. Slender bangs fell on either side of the stranger's face, tapering near the end in several points. A few loose strands shadowed his face, partially covering the two burning amber eyes that were fixed on Aqua's own bright sapphires.

Aqua bowed her head slightly in apology. "Sorry, I thought you were a friend for a moment there."

The stranger only smiled pointedly as he joined her besides the railing. Aqua frowned slightly at her strange company, but she allowed herself to face the bay again.

When the stranger spoke, his voice almost reminded her of her friend, but it was deeper and unlike Terra's, it was almost hollow. "The moon is beautiful at this time of night, bestowing the land with a gentle and nurturing light, much unlike the harshness of the sun."

Aqua blinked. "I… I suppose so. Sometimes I feel like it's the only thing I have when I'm alone. Every night, the moon is always there when everything else isn't." She dipped her head, looking over the edge. "I'm sorry, Sir… But have we met before?"

She looked up again to meet those irises that gleamed with an unnatural brightness in the dark. The stranger held out a hand coated in leather. "Perhaps not—I do apologize. My name is Xemnas."

Aqua hesitated, but she sensed no ill intentions when she accepted his hand. "Xemnas," she repeated. "Please call me Aqua."

Xemnas's smile turned into a crooked grin as he lifted her bare hand to his lips, lightly kissing her knuckles. Aqua bit back a gasp as she felt a jolt of electricity run up her arm before dispersing throughout her body. "A pleasure to meet you, Aqua," he purred, seemingly oblivious to her reaction.

Aqua buried her hand deep within one of her pockets to hide its shaking. "May I ask why you're out so late? I don't mean to be rude or anything, but I heard it's dangerous out here."

The mysterious man only chuckled throatily, setting one hand on the rail to support himself. "I came here for the stars. During any other time, the light of the city drowns out the light of the sky, especially in the evening. Troublesome, isn't it, Aqua?"

Aqua shivered at the sound of her own name leaving his tongue. "I guess it is a shame," she admitted, "I'm not used to the city yet so I came here to relax."

Xemnas tilted his head ever so slightly, surveying her through golden slivers. "Does the city frighten you?"

Aqua shook her head, rubbing her bare arms wearily. "It's a little complicated… I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean to trouble you. You probably came here for some peace and quiet too, huh—?" Her sentence ended abruptly when she felt an arm cold and eerily fluid like water slide over her back and around her shoulders, but when she turned around to push it away, she found nothing but the stranger simpering down at her with both hands resting on the railing.

"You seem troubled," the stranger remarked, concern lacing his words. "Are you feeling ill?"

"I…" Aqua found her thoughts hazing over as she frowned, backtracking to remember what she was going to say. She was too occupied with herself to notice the gloved hand rising to gently tap her on the shoulder, causing her to look up. A weak gasp escaped her lips as those burning orbs held her by the eyes with an unrelenting grip. Amber and gold swirled together like molten lava, transfixing Aqua into a hazy stupor. Slowly and painfully, the young woman couldn't even bring herself to resist the sudden exhaustion that was coming over her.

"Are you tired… Aqua?" Xemnas's baritone voice was like a low bass reverberating within the chamber that was her head. She felt dizzier with every word he spoke.

_Snow._

A splitting pain snapped her out of her haze as she pulled away from his reach, struggling not to double over. The fleeting pain only lasted for seconds before fading completely, but it was enough to bring her back to her senses. Taking a second to look up at the sky, Aqua realized that there was no snow at all—the night was clear as ever.

_Where did that come from?_

A small puff of vapor left her mouth as she exhaled. "… I should leave, it's a bit too late for me," the troubled woman said, turning away from the mysterious man and his unnerving aura. She was about to break into a sprint but stopped when she stepped into something wet and slick.

_That__'__s s__trange__… __The __rain __should__'__ve __dried __up __by __now._

"I wouldn't go there if I were you," said the voice, its deep gentleness melting away to reveal something much more twisted.

Aqua slowly looked down and realized with silent horror that it wasn't rainwater that soaked her shoe all the way up to her ankle. The liquid was black in the darkness, but a deep red under the lamplight. Only then did Aqua become aware of the sickly sweet and metallic smell lingering in the air.

Her stomach twisting, Aqua allowed her eyes to follow the trail of blood, realizing that it was _flowing_ from a higher ground. Lifting her gaze, Aqua found heaps of bleeding flesh littered alongside the stream of blood. She covered her mouth to stifle a gasp at the horrible sight as her stomach shuddered dangerously.

_Why didn't I notice this before…? _

A sharp snap pierced the air and the flow of blood turned black as each individual corpse dissolved into darkness.

"I was hoping I could surprise you."

A flash of light illuminated the darkness for a brief moment before condensing into the shape of a katana. Aqua whirled around, disgust and horror evident in her eyes. "_You _did this?"

The man named Xemnas chuckled softly. "Please don't feel ashamed that you didn't notice it before—I made sure you wouldn't, but ah… I got _impatient._"

Enraged, Aqua swung back her keyblade, preparing to send a wave of magic, but her target disappeared in a blur, only to reappear inches from her face, throwing her off guard. She wasn't even allowed a moment to gasp before a knee slammed full on into her stomach, sending her flying. Her back collided with the birch tree, snapping the trunk to pieces as shards of wood buried themselves within her flesh. The collision did little to cushion her fall as she hit the floor, skidding several feet.

She tasted metal as she coughed weakly, holding her stomach with one hand while the other clung to her sword, which glowed feebly. She stabbed the ground with her weapon, forcing herself up.

_How can anyone be that strong and fast?_

"I'm surprised you can still stand after that," Xemnas said as he slowly approached her, his previous attire melting away to reveal a black cloak instead. "A normal human would've died."

Aqua wiped her mouth before grasping her weapon with both hands. "Who, no, _what_ are you?"

Xemnas only chuckled again and Aqua ran forward, quickly forgetting about the pain. She had questions bouncing frantically within her head, but something told her that now wasn't the best time for chatter. A red beam of light burst from the other's open palm, meeting Aqua's glowing blade. A shower of sparks rained down on them as Aqua pulled her sword back to deliver a set of consecutive blows, spinning around in a complete circle before landing the last hit of the set.

Xemnas slid backwards from the force of the last blow. Within moments, the keyblade warrior was in the air, stabbing her weapon downwards like a stake of light. A second red blade appeared to block the blow and Aqua's sword was locked between the two. She grit her teeth as she slammed a foot down onto the other's shoulder to force her weapon out of the lock before jumping away from him.

"Why. Did. You. Kill. Those. People?" Aqua demanded through clenched teeth as she ran forward again, striking between each word. She twisted her body to avoid a blow from one of those strange red blades, bending over backwards to avoid the second one. She completed the flip and landed a kick straight into the other's chest. The blow only pushed Xemnas backwards before he stood his ground, unperturbed. Taking hold of the momentum, Aqua landed on her own two feet with her left hand pressed to the ground to slow herself to a stop. She gripped the hilt of her sword with her free hand, allowing more of her strength to flow into it. Only a fraction of her many attacks managed to hit, and when they did, they delivered little to no damage. Her opponent smirked.

Xemnas extended his arms, but instead of preparing an attack, he merely dismissed his weapons. "I am not human, Aqua, I am better than that."

Aqua narrowed her eyes, trying not to think of the blood soaking her back along with the countless other injuries littering her body. "Don't use my name like… like you _know _me," she spat.

Xemnas placed a hand over his chest as if he were genuinely wounded by her words. "So you truly don't remember then." He sighed, brushing back a strand of hair. "And here I was, hoping you would in order to make things the least bit interesting before I removed you from this world."

"I don't know about the nonsense you're speaking, but I won't let you touch me. I'll make you pay for what you've done here."

Xemnas cocked his head, smiling softly. "Do you truly want to destroy me, Aqua?"

"What—?" Aqua blinked before glaring again, opting not to answer. She leaped forward, swinging her blade towards the neck of the silver-haired man, even though he was unarmed.

However, being unarmed didn't prove to be much of a handicap when he caught the offending blade with a bare hand, effectively stopping Aqua in her tracks. Aqua gasped when she found she was unable to tear her weapon away. Instead, Xemnas tore her keyblade clean from her hands and tossed it to the side. She made a grab for it, but was forced to throw both hands up to block a blow. Unable to concentrate and re-summon her sword, Aqua was forced into hand-to-hand combat. After swaying side-to-side to dodge each attack, she suddenly swung to the left and grasped Xemnas's arm, locking it in place. Using the palm of her hand, she struck a certain area and cleanly broke the bone in half, but to her horror, Xemnas only gazed down on her with a curious sort of expression before throwing her off with a swing of his injured arm.

Aqua felt something crack when her face hit the ground for the second time. Her split-open lips stung as she licked the blood and dirt from them, struggling to look up. The arm was obviously bent at an awkward angle from underneath the sleeve, but Xemnas casually snapped the bones straight again, as if the injury was only slight.

"You wield the blade and your own body much better than that idealistic neophyte, but you're beginning to disappoint me, Aqua."

Aqua hissed in pain as she forced herself to stand back up, raising both fists. "I'm not here to please you." She struck his chest with the side of her arm and prepared to land another blow with her other arm, but Xemnas grabbed her wrist and twisted. Aqua hissed in pain as she struggled to pull her arm away, but she only succeeded in dislocating her own limb from her shoulder. Biting back a cry, Aqua slammed her knee into his side, causing his body to lock up for a brief moment. Taking advantage of the split-second window and ripping herself free, Aqua delivered another series of blows in rapid succession, her remaining arm a blur. She succeeded in pushing him back several feet and drawing blood, but before she could land her last hit, Xemnas caught her again with blinding speed. Smirking, he struck her across the face with full force.

Aqua's back collided with a brick wall as she flew, dislodging pieces of concrete. The breath was knocked out of her as she slid down to the ground, gasping and coughing up blood. Red specks splattered on the floor as she leaned forward, dazed and in complete pain. Her vision was blurry, but clear enough to show a dark figure slowly advancing on her.

"A pity."

"No—"

Her labored breaths were cut short when she was grasped by the throat and lifted into the air. She flailed fruitlessly as she scratched at her assailant's hands. She was slammed one, two, three times into the wall and she felt that she was going to _die._Feeling the warm blood dribbling down her chin, Aqua cursed her own weakness as she waited for the finishing blow.

If she were to die here, then no doubt that would be the end of her story.

This power… it was absolutely terrifying. It possessed the anonymity of a faceless force, ominous and terrible, and through the blinding pain, she knew that this wasn't all that was there to this monster.

A strangled whimper rose from her throat but she bit her tongue in defiance before the sound could leave her mouth. If she gave up, she would die—that alone was clear, but if she were to die, she would not die kneeling.

Through the pain, Aqua reached out blindly and silently called for her weapon. Feeling the hilt of her blade press against her palm, Aqua grasped and swung it, knowing she hit her mark.

The grip around her neck released her and she fell back to the ground, unmoving. She weakly opened her eyes, meeting amber irises.

"Was that for your dead mother and father?" Inquired the empty voice.

Aqua stiffened but only silence left her gaping mouth when her front was slashed open by an invisible force, a blade as cold as ice cutting through clothes and skin alike. Blood sprayed into the air and that was the last thing she saw before the weakened light faded from her eyes.

No, she wasn't supposed to lose like this. She couldn't lose… not now. There was still someone waiting for her…

But… the darkness before her seemed more comforting than ever with it's temptation of a peaceful rest. Maybe... maybe he would have to wait.

-x-X-x-

Xemnas looked down upon the young woman lying face down in her own blood. He dismissed his weapon for a second time. Something lurched within his chest and he grasped the area, grimacing with disgust.

Was he feeling… _regret_?

How pleasurable it would be to rip out his accursed heart, but alas…

He turned away, not wanting to study the fallen warrior any longer. The look in her eyes at the mention of her parents as well as her presently crumpled form were much too pitiful for her own good, Xemnas could barely stand it.

"It seems you're too late once again," he leered, walking away as his bloodied footprints faded with each step towards the horizon.

Riku alighted upon the ground, his hood falling back. His eyes were a deep gold identical to Xemnas's, but they flickered to a bright cyan when he turned his gaze towards the other's back. He looked away again and the bloodied mess lying in the shadows caught his eye. He recognized that blue hair…

"Do you know her?" Xemnas asked, his voice distorting slightly. He pulled up his hood, hiding his hair and the rest of his face.

Riku reached out with his conscience and found that the young woman's heart was still there and that she was alive… but not for long by the looks of it. "What were you planning to do with her?" He growled.

"I wonder, but keyblade wielder or not, she won't survive any longer."

"Keyblade—?" Riku did a double take but before he could demand more answers, Xemnas summoned a portal to the darkness and disappeared into it without another word, not even his usual taunt.

For a moment, Riku was torn between pursuit and tending to the injured woman. However, his decision was made for him when the first rays of sunlight peeked from over the horizon, pushing away the navy blue of the night sky. He looked down at his hands as he felt his power melt away under the warmth of the light. He wouldn't be able to stand up to a fight now.

Rushing to the young woman's side, Riku knelt in the pool of blood and carefully turned her over onto her back, wiping most of the blood away from her face with his sleeve. She really was torn up, but the amount of injuries suggested that she put up a damn good fight. Cuts and bruises littered her face, but it was the fresh wound on her torso that got his attention. Her clothes were cut open, revealing the pale and sickly skin underneath. The wound started from the right side of her collarbone and traveled diagonally between her breasts, down her stomach, and ended at her left hip. The injury was daunting, but it continued to bleed—she was still alive.

_Who are you?_

Riku bit the finger of his right glove, pulling it off as he supported her head with his free arm. Holding his hand over the open wound, he muttered a _Cure_ spell and his hand glowed with a feeble green light. The wound refused to close, but the bleeding stopped.

The teenager almost cried out in surprise when a hand flew up to grab him by the wrist. However, its grip only lasted for a split second before it went lax again, falling back down to the ground with a dull _thump_.

She still had some fight in her. If he could get her real help, then maybe there was still some hope.

And didn't Xemnas say she wielded a keyblade? Riku clenched a shaking fist at letting him go without a fight, but he had little choice.

More sunlight poured into the sky and a glint partially hidden between bloody fingers caught his eye. Curious and suspicious at the same time, Riku carefully lifted the limp hand away, revealing the familiar raindrop keychain.

Picking up the silver trinket caked in blood, Riku simply stared at it in disbelief as realization dawned upon him. He wiped the face of the lone sapphire with a thumb, feeling its subdued power shifting and churning in impatience. His suspicions before were fleeting and seemingly idiotic, so he dismissed them without a second thought, but now…

Now Ven's sister had a lot of explaining to do.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **_Oh my goodness, these last few weeks have been hectic. Mostly because I've been helping with planning my own school's Homecoming LOL But my part's over so here's the latest chapter :) I made it a little longer than the average length (8000 words, whew) so I hope that makes up for the delay._

_To be honest, I think Vanitas and Aqua could make the most awkward passive-aggressive friends... if someone wasn't so infatuated with the darkness :P _

_Oh, and I'm wondering if anyone would like to exchange Skype or Msn addresses with me orz I'm a little ronery and newbish in this fandom and I think I need another outlet for my fan-driven tendencies besides fanfiction. Bite me._

_Anyway, thank you Sunlight Memory, Terra ForceXIII, and Shironami-Whitewave for your reviews :) Thank you everyone for reading and I'd love it if you could drop me some feedback! Every review is much loved x)_

_Next Chapter: As the darkest page of her life haunts her sleep, Aqua realizes that she isn't as alone in the waking world as she previously thought._


	8. In Wake of the Rain

Xemnas stared at himself in the mirror. His silver hair was matted with blood and some of it was his own. He coughed and tasted something metallic as his eyes narrowed. He peeled away the shreds of his coat from his body, knowing there wasn't much he could do about his ruined clothes. Yellow orbs slowly traveled downwards to rest on the gash that marred the side of his waist. He lightly fingered the open wound—if that woman had cut him any deeper than that, then even this body would've been rendered useless. However, she made the mistake of holding back and paid the price for it. He felt the bite of her blade backed by desperation only for it to falter with hesitation after it tore through the skin and the top layer of sinewy muscle.

If she had gone on, then this would've been the second crippling blow she had dealt him since seven years ago.

Calloused fingers sticky with half-dried blood pressed against the wound before glowing with a strong green light tainted with slender tendrils of black. Xemnas felt the fibers of his flesh knit together under the palm of his hand as the pain gently ebbed away. The glow persisted until the entire wound closed up, leaving behind nothing more than a few smudges of blood and pieces of black cloth. His hands were clean now and he kicked away what remained of his clothes, watching impassively as they deteriorated into black smoke.

Light from the morning sun filled the austere room and Xemnas allowed himself to collapse as exhaustion took over him. He leaned back against the foot of a mussed up bed, his head tilting to the side. He would see her again, surely, because he had held back as well.

Thoughts fading, his eyes slowly slipped closed and he slept.

-x-X-x-

**VIII: In Wake of the Rain**

-x-X-x-

There were a million things he was feeling all at once, and not even Ventus himself could keep up. He could only think of fear, confusion, and anxiety, and those were just three things out of many.

"Is… is she going to make it?" The young blonde asked with glazed eyes. Wringing the end of the hospital bed sheets between his hands, he woefully looked up at the doctor who stood at the doorway with clipboard in hand.

"She's in stable condition," he answered and Ven could barely let out a sigh of relief. He turned his gaze back on his sister and tried not to stare too deeply into the terrible bruises and swelling that contorted her face.

"Did she wake up at all when she was brought in?"

The doctor shook his head, his expression grim. Ventus felt his shoulders fall as he clutched Aqua's nearest hand, careful not to disturb the IV. "We're confident she'll wake up within a day or two, but…" The doctor paused, remembering that he was dealing with a fifteen-year-old. "… She may suffer from memory loss once she does. However, we won't know how severe it will be until she wakes up—it may last anywhere from a few hours to forever, or maybe there won't be any at all."

Ventus gulped and nodded as his heart beat like a drum within his chest. The doctor observed him with pity before a nurse walked in and whispered into his ear. Ven strained his own ears to listen for any more news, but the only thing he could catch was 'visitors'.

The doctor quietly excused himself and Ventus was left alone, alone except for his comatose sister. The room was filled with nothing but the soft beeping of the monitor and the sound of Aqua's breathing through the respirator.

Alone and scared for his only family, Ven squeezed the hand in his grasp and pressed its cold knuckles against his forehead. Something squeezed him from the inside and in his restlessness, he couldn't bring himself to wonder who found his sister and who did this to her.

All he could think about was why this had to happen to her.

-x-X-x-

Riku knocked on the doorframe leading to the empty classroom before entering, switching the fluorescent lights on. He had an hour-long window to do what he needed to do before class started.

"Namine?"

"Over here," came her reply and Riku followed her voice to the backroom. He looked through the door and made sure that they were alone before walking in.

"Sorry I haven't visited in a while, I've been busy."

"No, I understand," Namine replied, shutting her drawing book before placing it to the side. Riku couldn't help but notice that all the old drawings from his last visit were taken down, probably by Namine herself, and replaced with newer drawings of what appeared to be a blue-haired girl accompanied by other familiar faces.

"How long have you known about her?" He asked, referring to the face recurring in the drawings.

Namine brushed back a lock of her pale blonde hair. "A while… for months, the only thing I could see was her—she was in every one of my visions." Sheepishly playing with her own hands, Namine refused to look up at him. "You… you found her and brought her to the hospital, right?"

"I did, and I think she'll be fine." Namine only nodded wordlessly and Riku sighed, scratching his head. He held out a hand with his palm facing upwards. "It's not your fault, there wasn't anything you could do."

Namine wiped her eyes, but they were dry. She finally turned towards him while she nervously twisted a pencil between her fingers. "But sometimes I wish there was."

Riku frowned to himself as he pulled up a stool of his own and took a seat beside her. He picked up a leaflet from the table, carefully smoothing out its creases as he stared at the drawing. It was of a girl wrapped up in a winter coat and scarf standing amongst blue and white scribbles. From the looks of the dots of white, Riku assumed that it was merely snow.

It must be a terrible weight on her shoulders to be able to see things yet to happen, but be unable to speak or write of them. He knew these simplistic drawings were the only tangible proof of her premonitions, and as helpful as they were to him, he knew pictures only accomplished so much before their meaning became abstract.

"… It's been a while, has Ansem been treating you well?" Riku asked to break the silence, folding the paper before putting it back.

Namine nodded as she swung her legs from atop her perch. "I've been okay, but…" Her delicate brow furrowed as she frowned. "… I don't think the same can be said for you, Riku. Why didn't you come see me after you met Xemnas?"

Abashed, Riku turned away as he rubbed his neck. He was wondering if she knew about all the things he was up to, but it wasn't like he kept in touch with her. "Well, I—uh, I was worried things would get out of hand if I stopped chasing him. I was so close, Namine, I couldn't bring myself to stop until now."

"Be careful, Riku," Namine said softly, placing a hand over his chest. Riku swallowed as he felt the ever-present warmth in his heart lurch at her touch. "It's dangerous out there, even for you. Sora trusted us, don't let the light he gave you be swallowed up."

"I wouldn't even think of it," He replied quietly, expression solemn. "I'd never betray you, nor Sora and Kairi, but I can't let Xemnas have Kingdom Hearts."

"Kingdom Hearts—" Namine's voice hitched and she lifted a hand to her throat, crestfallen. For a moment, she was lost for words until, "—So many people have been lost because of it—I wish the fighting would stop, Riku."

"It'll end with him, I promise," Riku assured her. "I'll defeat him for good before the piece of Xehanort inside of me wins."

Namine shook her head as she grasped the front of his jacket without pulling on him, her voice rising slightly. "No, Sora gave up his memories of the Keyblade to you so that wouldn't happen. Trust in your friends, and trust in me to find a way when this is over."

Riku lowered his gaze. That was right—Sora had passed on the Keyblade and his memories of it to him, returning to a normal life with the others. The inherited light within his heart was the only thing that protected his mind and body from the inherited darkness of Xehanort each time the sun set.

He was well versed with the nature of his own darkness, but he could only wonder if Xemnas was just like him. He despised the idea.

"There's something about that girl," said Namine, bringing him out of his thoughts, "Her name is Aqua. There's not much I'm allowed to say but I think… I think I want to see her. When she's awake again, can you take me?"

"Ah—" Riku blinked, bemused with her odd request. "I can, but will Ansem be okay with that?"

Namine stared down at her lap nervously. "We… we don't have to tell him. He made me interfere with her intentions of seeing me herself, so I want to meet her for real." She let go of Riku and placed the loosely closed fist against her chest. "My dreams of her make my heart ache a little, but I still want to see her..."

-x-X-x-

_Snow._

_She felt the excitement fill her to the brim when she gazed out the window that early morning. Countless flakes floated down to earth and several more collected on the windowsill. Pressing her face to the frosty glass, Aqua studied each unique crystal with awe and wonder. It was amazing how each snowflake was perfectly symmetrical and unique. She could recall her mother telling her that no snowflake was the same, but she could barely wrap her mind around it. Were the countless snowflakes that fell from the sky this very moment be that different from each other? Surely Mother Nature would've run out of ideas by now._

_It was still dark outside and Aqua was the only one awake—her parents were sleeping after a tiring day and Ven was still recovering from a bout of pneumonia. If she were to go out now, then her mother and father would probably be angry if they found out. Even so, as well behaved as she was, Aqua knew there were some things worth getting in trouble for._

_Throwing on a light coat and scarf, Aqua rushed outside as she thought about what her mom said about the seasons. Somewhere else in the world, the land was dyed red and gold instead of white like here. Knowing that, Aqua couldn't help but feel pride and excitement in the long and early winters of her home—nothing could beat the beauty of snow. The weather was fleeting and no one could predict when and for how long rain would replace it._

_Picking a good spot, Aqua sat down in the front yard. She began scooping around herself, creating a pile of snow to utilize. This probably would've been more fun if someone else was around to keep her company, but Aqua didn't really mind playing in the snow by herself. The soft voice of the wind was more than comforting._

_After some time of creating several mini snow-people, Aqua heard the crunch of fresh snow behind her. Turning around, she looked up to find a stranger staring past her as if he didn't realize she was there. Startled, Aqua jumped an inch away from her spot on the ground before remembering that it was impolite to shun another, stranger or not._

_The stranger continued to stand there with a single hand resting on the brick post that was part of the crumbling old fence encasing the lawn. A thin layer of snow began to collect atop his silver head, hair lustrous in the lowlight. Golden eyes that were bright and dark at the same time stood out, stark against the snow and silver. They looked a bit scary to her, but it was their dazed expression that worried her most._

"_Hey mister… Aren't you a little cold?" She asked timidly._

_A strange light passed through his eyes as he looked down at her. For a moment, he just stood there as if he were still registering her simple question._

_Then he collapsed, landing on his side before rolling onto his back when he hit the ground._

_Aqua squeaked in surprise as the snow settled from the impact. The stranger lay motionless and Aqua crouched where she sat with her fingers perched nervously on her lips. When he continued to lie still, she slowly approached him on all fours. _

_Leaning over the strange man, Aqua quickly brushed back his hair to see if his eyes were open. When she saw that they weren't, she waved a hand in front of his face to see if he would notice. He didn't. This was bad, what was she supposed to do? When she woke up, she was expecting a peaceful morning in the snow, not this—!_

_Aqua jumped with another squeak when those eyes shot open._

"_Who… are you?"_

"_A-Aqua…" She answered before biting down on her lip. Well, at least he was alive._

"_Aqua," he echoed lowly before sitting up. The young girl scrambled back a little to give him space. "Did you ask me something?"_

_She nodded as she looked towards her house, wondering if she should wake her parents. "Yes, sir. I was wondering if you were cold." Aqua looked back at him. "You aren't wearing a jacket. My brother didn't wear a jacket either, so he's really sick."_

"_Brother…?" His interest seemed to pique. _

_Aqua nodded again. "Yes, Ventus. Anyway, didn't your own mom ever tell you to wear something when it's cold?"_

_The stranger cringed as if something stung him. He lifted a hand to his head, partially covering one of his eyes. "I… I don't have a mother."_

_It was Aqua's turn to flinch as she looked down in shame. Her cheeks burned despite the cold as she buried her hands within the snow. "Oh… I didn't mean… If you're cold, I can get you something if you want…"_

_The stranger shook his head, his long and slender bangs swaying in the cold wind. "No…" He paused, appearing confused. "There is no need for that." Standing up and dislodging pieces of caked snow in the process, he walked on without another word._

"_Ah—bye mister!" Aqua called after him. She chewed the inside of her cheek and looked down again in remorse. She probably offended him with her insensitivity and she knew this was going to bother her for the rest of the day. With her mood ruined, Aqua left her creations behind as she trudged back into the house…_

_It snowed again the next day, but not as much. Aqua woke up extra early again to spend more time in the yard, but a surprise was waiting for her when she rushed outside._

_The same stranger from before was standing on the same spot. There was something different in his gaze, but Aqua couldn't place a finger on it. Perhaps it was the pea coat he now donned. Despite her reservations, Aqua ran up to him, her breath leaving her mouth in the form of fog. _

"_I'm sorry for being rude, mister."_

_The stranger tilted his head, smiling. He placed a heavy hand on her head and Aqua took it as a sign of forgiveness. His touch was oddly gentle and Aqua was surprised to find a sense of familiarity in it. Taking his hand, she was about to invite him to take a seat somewhere, but realized that the snow from yesterday had been reduced to slush._

_Suddenly the wind began to pick up into mournful gales. Aqua felt flecks of ice hit her face as sleet replaced snow. She turned towards the stranger with one eye squinting. "Do you have anywhere to go?" She asked him over the wind._

"_I don't," he replied in his low voice._

_Aqua looked towards her home. Her parents probably wouldn't be happy with her bringing a stranger into the house, but at least their porch was shielded from the weather. It wasn't much, but Aqua knew it would be better than sending this person to traverse through the storm alone right after apologizing to him._

"_Here, uhm…" She pulled on him shyly, pointing towards their porch. "Maybe we can sit? I mean, if you want…" She shivered in the cold and the other seemed to get what she was saying when he walked with her to shelter._

"_Are you cold?" He asked her._

_Aqua blushed at being on the receiving end of her own question. She nodded sheepishly as they sat down. "Just a little bit. It's worse when it rains and snows at the same time…"_

_Without a word, the stranger unbuttoned his own coat before placing it over her shoulders. Aqua froze when that dry warmth enveloped her. She looked up at him questioningly, but pulled the coat around herself gratefully. This person was being oddly nice…_

_What __was __really __strange __though, __was __the __sense __of __déjà __vu __brewing __within __her. __The __feeling __of __a __warm __and __heavy __coat __resting __on__her __shoulders __seemed __all __too __familiar, __but __she __couldn__'__t __recall _why.

_All she could think of was 'rain'._

-x-X-x-

"Terra!" Zack hollered, oblivious to the other souls who were probably still asleep at this hour. "Hurry up and let me in."

He heard nothing but groaning on the other side of the door and he rolled his eyes. When the sound of footsteps failed to appear, he took to leaning against the wall as he waited for his friend. He made a mental note to ask for his own set of keys to Terra's apartment—this was getting ridiculous.

It wasn't like he was being a burden, Zack thought; he was only here because his mother took the car for the morning so he was left ride-less. Plus Terra probably owed him a dozen favors, not that he was counting or anything.

Just when he was about to knock again, Zack felt his phone vibrate from within his pocket. He took it out and flipped it open, frowning when he saw that it was Tifa.

Lifting the phone to his ear, he said, "Hello, princess."

"_Fair! Why isn't Terra picking up?"_

Zack shrugged even though Tifa wasn't here to see him. "I dunno. I'm outside his room and he's taking forever to—oh wait, I hear him coming." The door opened with a _woosh_ to reveal a very disgruntled-looking Terra with a wet towel hanging from around his neck. Zack grinned and waved silently at him.

"_Whatever. __Anyway, __it__'__s __Aqua__—__she__'__s __in __the __hospital__—"_ The grin instantly fell from his face and Terra frowned. _"—__I __saw __an __ambulance __on __the __street __after __I __dropped __my __father __off.__"_

"… How bad is she?" Zack asked, making eye contact with Terra's worried and questioning gaze. He mouthed a question and Zack mouthed back, _Aqua_. Terra visibly stiffened.

"_I__… __I __don__'__t __know, __and __I __don__'__t __know __about __you __two, __but __I__'__m __going __to __go __check __on __her. __I__'__ll __be __late __to __bio__' __today.__"_

"Well, we'll meet you there then."

-x-X-x-

_It was a little difficult talking to him at first, but Aqua found herself warming up to this person as time passed. He called himself Xemnas and Aqua thought it was a weird name, but she held her tongue for the sake of manners._

_Up close, his eyes weren't as scary. They reminded her of gemstones somehow. Her parents always said that her own eyes were like sapphires, but these ones were definitely different. The name of the gem she had in mind was on the tip of her tongue and Aqua could recall her own mother teaching her about the names of jewels. It was just a matter of remembering._

"… _They're topazes!" _

_Those 'topazes' blinked curiously. "What was that?"_

"_Your eyes, they remind me of topazes. They're these pretty golden gems," she explained, pointing up at them._

_His mouth curved into a crooked grin as he tilted his head, resting it against a closed hand. "Then do these 'golden gems' frighten you?"_

_The young girl frowned. "No, mister. If gems were scary, then they wouldn't be valuable." She didn't know why he would ask a thing. True those topazes weren't warm like her fathers, or soft like her mother's, but she found herself adjusting to their hankering gaze in a short amount of time. Their burning color was just another source of fascination to her. _

_She looked down at her tiny hands, red and soft from the cold moisture in the air. Ven compared her eyes to sapphires one day and she imagined rolling around the blue stone in her palms while its prismatic light bounced off her skin like many sparkles. Oh how her heart yearned for just a single jewel for her to cherish—if only her parents trusted her with such an extravagant object. It wasn't like they were exactly useful, but they were still pretty to have…_

_As if he read her mind, the other spoke as he traced down her palms with a single finger. His flesh was tan and dark against her fair skin, but gray-toned from the cold. "There's much more to riches than gems, little Aqua. There's something better out there, even more so than a million gemstones."_

_She was skeptical when she looked up at him, waiting for him to go on._

_His gaze lowered and glazed over as if he were thinking about a distant dream. "A heart, especially one like yours. The power of a single one is more powerful than all the gold the world has to offer."_

_Aqua's eyes widened as a hand automatically lifted to her chest. "Like mine?" She pouted, wondering if he was making fun of her now. What could be so special about the beating piece of flesh inside of her? "That's silly, what can you do with a heart?"_

"_Anything," he answered placidly. "You can turn dreams into reality, build and tear down any empire, or break even the strongest soul."_

_That sounded like something important all right, but unlike anything she's ever heard of. "That's impossible," she said defiantly._

"_Would you like me to prove it to you tomorrow then?" He asked, his voice growing quieter._

_Aqua grew closer to him, whispering in return, "Yes—! But do you promise?"_

_His eyes were unreadable, but the smile on his lips told her all she wanted to know._

-x-X-x-

It took a commotion in the main lobby to snap Ventus out of his perpetual brooding. He lifted his head up from its position pressed against his knees as he tried to discern the cause of such vocal protests.

He heard a vaguely familiar male voice accompanied by a female one, but it was the third voice that made Ven jump from his seat and run for the door leading to the lobby.

He burst in, huffing, as everyone stopped to stare at him. When he found the second most-needed person he wanted to see, he promptly threw his arms around his middle and delivered a bone-crushing hug, unaware of the older boy's weak protests and grimaces of pain.

"Woah—careful, Ven. You're going to break him," said Zack, gently prying the blonde from the brunet. "We tried to get here as fast as we could."

"How—?" Ven stopped himself when he nervously glanced at the lobbyist behind the desk. "I know them—they're family!" He quickly insisted before grabbing the arms of both Zack and Terra and leading them behind the door, expecting Tifa to follow.

It was Terra who gently shut the door behind them, careful not to disturb the other patients who were in the same wing. "Zack's right, but how have you been? Alone like this and all…"

Ventus took a moment to compose himself as he looked around at the three who now stood around him. He closed and opened his fists over and over as he tried not to break down in front of them.

He was terrified.

"I'm okay."

Surprisingly, Tifa was the first to call him out on that. "No you're not."

"No I'm not," he said.

Terra gently pushed him down onto the nearest chair, resting both hands on his shoulders. "It's okay, Ven. You can tell us anything when you're ready."

Ventus swallowed and nodded as he glanced balefully at the closed door of Aqua's room. He wanted to burst, he wanted to tell Terra everything he was feeling inside, and he knew that he was grateful towards these three just for being there. "S-she's in there" was all he could manage before he bowed his head.

-x-X-x-

_She woke up late the next morning, much to her great dismay. Throwing back her covers and leaping from the bed, Aqua rushed to her bedroom window to see if the stranger named Xemnas was waiting for her like he promised._

_The skies outside were no longer a navy blue against a horizon of white, but a dull gray amongst muddy brown. What remained of the snow and sleet from yesterday was reduced to slushy puddles overnight and Aqua was left to press her forehead against the cold windowpane, crestfallen to find that no black-clad young man was standing by the curb in front of her house. Like the snow, the stranger was gone._

_Aqua huffed dejectedly and silently apologized to him for never showing up. After changing, she rushed to the room next to hers and peeked in through the small opening of the door._

"_Ven, are you awake?"_

_She received a tiny groan in response._

_Aqua's mouth curved into a tiny frown. "Well, let me or Mom and Dad know if you need anything…"_

"_Thanks, sis'," Ventus finally responded from under his covers, voice groggy from sleep. "I'm feeling a little better actually…"_

"_Good, you owe me then," she told him, smiling. She closed the door carefully before hopping down the stairs two-by-two, her mind already off the stranger._

-x-X-x-

Nothing prepared him for the state he saw his dear friend in. Looking down on her bruised-up form made him wonder how Ven was able to cope, especially when he was alone for who knows how long.

Aqua was covered all the way up to her collarbone and Terra didn't want to think about what else was hidden under those sheets. She was hardly recognizable underneath the cuts and bruises and Terra felt sick to stomach… and _anger_.

A swollen lesion marred her once-smiling lips while a tiny band-aid did little to hold together the split above her right eye, which was black. Both sides of her face sported even larger bruises and Terra clenched a fist. His simmering eyes traveled away from the terrible bruising and down her neck before resting on the line where scratched-up flesh met white linen. He had a feeling, a sudden one, that something _else_ was hidden under there. His right hand twitched and he found himself raising it to pull away the covers, but he stopped himself in time. What was he thinking?

Tifa was the first to break the numb silence and Terra was suddenly aware that Ven was holding on to the hem of his shirt.

"She fought back." The youngest looked up at that, bewildered and frowning.

Zack looked away, fingers pressed to his furrowed brows. "You didn't see that, did you?"

"No, but I can still tell," Tifa replied, shaking her head. She bent down and carefully stroked the side of Aqua's hand. "Her fingernails are broken and her knuckles… they're scraped and raw." She didn't stop there as her finger traveled upwards. "Then there are these bruises too…"

Ven made a weak sound and Terra looked down on him, his expression softening. He ruffled his hair. "Hey, you of all people know how strong your sister is—I'm sure she'll wake up soon, fine and all."

Tifa nodded as she stood back up beside Zack. Ventus wiped his eyes as he tried to smile with little avail. "I want to believe you, Terra, I really do, but—" He looked down at his free hand as the one clinging to the end of his shirt tightened, "—the doctors said she might not remember… remember everything when she wakes up."

Terra frowned but he didn't let the others see. Laying a hand on his shoulder, the older student turned the other to face him. "Then we can help her, me and you—" He glanced at the others with a knowing look in his eyes "—and everyone else as well."

Tifa smiled wittingly at him before excusing herself and leading Zack out of the room.

Ven blinked, his eyes still on Terra. "But…"

Terra shook his head. "No buts." He didn't really think that he was very good at emotional and sensitive things like this, and his own heart wrenched with a heavy feeling at the sight of Aqua and her injuries, but brushing off Ven's worries was out of the question.

Ven half-smiled up at him and Terra returned the sentiment. "I'm thankful, I really am, for you guys coming here. I didn't think anyone would find out—" his voice lowered, "—but seeing you three here, I think Aqua would've appreciated it too." He looked back at his sister and Terra did the same.

The older boy tapped the other's chin upward. "Hey, but I bet she wouldn't like you sulking for hours straight instead of going to school like you're supposed to."

He stuck out his tongue in response. "Like you should be talking, Terra."

Terra ruffled his hair again and Ventus swatted his hand away. "There's not much we can do for her just by standing around worrying—it's all on Aqua's shoulders now, but I promise we'll be here when she wakes up."

-x-X-x-

_Aqua pressed her face to the living room window for the countless time that evening, watching with childish fascination as her breath fogged up the glass. She traced little pictures into the moisture before it all faded completely. She spent an entire hour waiting and playing idly with her surroundings and she soon forgot what she was waiting for._

"_It probably won't snow again until October," her mother called from the kitchen._

"_How do you know?" Aqua called back without taking her eyes off the window._

"_Haven't you seen the weather report?" Her mother replied with an amused note to her voice. "There will be a rainstorm tomorrow, so no more snow."_

_Aqua pouted, sometimes she didn't like how her mom always happened to know what was on her mind. She didn't appreciate having her hopes dashed—not that rain was particularly bad, Aqua actually liked a little sprinkle now and then. It was just that cold water falling from the sky was a tad plain compared to the fluffiness and innocence of snow._

"_You can let her hope," her dad said from the same kitchen. Aqua smiled and turned to join them but a knock at the door stopped her in her tracks. She looked back at where her parents were and found that they were still talking with each other. There was another knock, but her mom and dad didn't seem to notice._

_Aqua found that weird but she just shrugged as she walked to the front door, opening it just a sliver to see who it was._

_A gust of cold and damp air wailed at her and she shivered as she looked up. Her heart skipped half-a-beat when she found the stranger from the days before smiling down on her._

"_Good evening, mister," Aqua said shyly, opening the door a little wider._

_Someone in the background asked who was there, but their voice was only a muffled haze to her—all of her attention was focused on the man who stood before her, holding out his hand. Captivated, the young girl slowly extended hers. Her usual prudence didn't cross her mind as she slowly descended into a shallow trance._

"_Will you let me in, Aqua?" He purred, voice dangerously smooth like velvet._

_She __nodded_ _and __the __moment __their __fingertips __met, __the __sound __of __shattering __glass __split __the __air. __For __only __a __fraction __of __a __second, __the __image __of __a __young __silver-haired __man __wavered __and __gave __way __to __a __writhing __mass __of __shadows, __abominable __and __inhuman __in __both __shape __and __form. __Aqua __felt __herself __snap __out __of __it __as __cold __terror __filled __her __from __the __bottom __up, __but __before __she __could __scream, __weightlessness __took __hold __of __her __as __the __breath __left __her __lungs. __Someone __else __was __shouting __and __screaming __and __Aqua __realized __she __had __hit __either __the __floor __or __the __wall__—__she __wasn__'__t __sure __which._

_Then it was black—_

—_Before it was light again, but the first thing she saw was red, and it was everywhere. _

_Something heavy was slumped against her front, pressing her to the wall. As Aqua shifted out of her stupor, the weight slid off her and hit the ground, unmoving. A mess of long blue hair soaked in the dark puddles that smelled like rust. Aqua realized it was blood, and that the heap before her was the still-warm body of her beloved mother. Not too far from where she lay was the limb form of her father, his arms spread wide as if he had tried to protect them._

"_No…" Aqua whispered quietly, leaning forward to reach for them. She set a hand down and blood pooled around the shape of her fingers as her weight pressed into the carpet. _

_A dark figure still stood, towering above her and the bodies of her mother and father. It leered down at her with the cruelest gaze and the glowing orbs she saw were no longer the curious eyes of the stranger, but the eyes of a monster._

"_Show me the key, Aqua…" It drawled. The voice was distorted beyond recognition and she hated it—the sound of her own name on its tongue was enough to make her heart tremble._

"_Why…?" She asked. She looked down at her hands and the dark blood that coated them. A flush of emotions washed away the numbness she felt and her fingers curled into claw-like arches. She shook as her head bowed out of anger, betrayal, and despair. "Why, why, why—?" A faint blue light suddenly gathered between her palms before enveloping her entire form and filling the blood-splattered room with its mysterious glow. A look of confusion crossed those golden eyes before they drank greedily into the light as it condensed into a shining orb._

_Aqua didn't know a thing about the "key" it spoke of—was that the reason her parents were taken away from her? This couldn't be real, not this light, not this at all—she was so scared, and angry, and confused, and all she wanted was her mother to wake her up and tell her it was all a bad dream—_

_Aqua cried out and the pulsating orb took the shape of a teardrop, the same teardrops that spilled from the eyes she clenched shut. She didn't see the light solidify into gleaming silver as a tiny shard of dark blue set itself within its center; she didn't see the intense light that resulted from the union, piercing the shadowy being that plagued her through its own center. She could only release all the anguish and pain wrenching her tiny heart as she screamed and screamed, screaming until her own wretched voice merged with silence itself._

_And everything was gone._

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: _**_Not much to say here but thank you everyone for reading and reviewing! I'll be going through drastic schedule changes in about a week but hopefully I can continue to update regularily._

_Ciao~_


	9. Not Alone

"Can I help you?" Asked a bubbly voice out of nowhere, causing Zack to jump. He steadied a rather large vase as it wobbled before turning around to find a young woman with thick braided auburn hair smiling brightly at him.

"Oh," was all that left his mouth as he blinked. "Well I'm looking for flowers."

The lady giggled at that. "I suppose you're in the right place then. For what occasion?"

Zack scratched his head. He was new at stuff like this and this was probably the first time he ever visited the local flower shop as far as he could remember. From the looks of this person's deep green apron, she was probably the florist that worked here. "I have a friend," he explained, "And she's… sort of in the hospital."

The florist nodded, settling down a bit. "I'm sorry to hear that, but I think I have what you need."

Zack smiled. "Thanks—" He squinted to read her nametag. "—Aerith. There's also something else too…"

-x-X-x-

**IX: Not Alone**

-x-X-x-

School had ended an hour ago that day. By then, the four of them had already returned to the hospital to spend the rest of it by Aqua's side. Ven was in the same room as his sister with the right side of his face buried within an open history book. A small pile of paper was laid on the floor—some of it was Ven's, and some of it was Aqua's, even though word spread quickly about what happened to her and most of the teachers were quick to excuse her absence.

With Aqua still unconscious, no one knew a single detail about what happened last night, but rumors spread fast and it didn't take long for almost everyone to believe that she was the only person to survive one of the many mysterious attacks that plagued the city. Normally it was a topic that many residents turned their heads away from. Most settled with denial, telling themselves that their beloved city was still the safe haven it always was. Few others knew better and it wouldn't be long before their paranoia spread.

Or at least, Terra entertained himself with the idea. Seeing Aqua out cold and bed-ridden was like a second wake-up call for him and he wondered if all of this could've been stopped somehow. Maybe he should've called, maybe he should've checked up on her somehow—

"How are you doing there?"

Terra looked up. Tifa was sitting right beside him for the last half hour and Zack had left for a break. "I'm fine," he answered curtly.

Tifa raised an eyebrow. "Don't even—you wear your heart on your sleeve, Terra. Looking at your face makes me wonder if Ven's the one who needs moral support here."

Terra scoffed when he looked away, crossing his arms. This was probably one of those attempts to relieve the silence and soothe his worries—not that he needed the help. "Then why'd you ask…?" He mumbled under his breath. "I'm doing fine," he repeated.

Tifa shook her head as she put away her novel. "Do you like her?"

Now _that_ took Terra by surprise. He struggled to keep his face straight when he stammered, "W-what?"

The other's brow only arched further up. "I said do you like her? You know, _Aqua_."

"I think she's pretty," Terra blurted out dumbly without realizing what he was saying. Well, so much for composure.

"Now when you say it like that—" Tifa just sighed and rolled her eyes. "Come on, even you can do better than that."

"I know, I know," he groaned, covering his face with both his hands. His cheeks were burning. "Why'd you have to ask me that now of all times?"

"I was just curious, but really now, do you?"

"No, I…" Terra trailed off. In truth, he wasn't really sure but he felt that a "no" would be easier to recant than a "yes". Did he really think of Aqua like that? He never asked himself that question in earnest—he never questioned the happy feeling that would rise in his chest every time she smiled at him (or actually anything to be honest), he never wondered how easy it was for her to bring him out of his bad days without her even knowing, and he never wondered why his classes seemed less drab over time. Every change, big or small, seemed natural to him and he never stopped to look back with second thoughts. "…I don't know."

Tifa smirked as she sat back, stretching out her arms. "Well it's not like you even have a chance with her. You don't exactly have the best history with women."

It took the brunet a moment to realize what she was referring to, but once he did, he almost jumped to his feet in indignity, flushing humorously. "What—? We were nine!"

The young woman only mockingly mirrored his indignation as she stuck out her tongue. "I offered you half my lunch and you threatened me—"

"Oh-h—" Terra laughed in defiance. "—Because breaking my jaw didn't make up for that."

"No, I _dislocated_ it and that's only because _you_ tried to hit me first!"

"Oh, that was funny," Zack interrupted cheerfully as he walked in with a giant bouquet of white lilies in his arms. "I miss the good old days when we found a half-starved Terra on the streets and he threatened to kill all of us until your dad thought it would be fantastic to make him my sparring partner. You know how it was—I was the best outlet for everyone's uncontrollable rage back in the day."

Terra groaned and Tifa laughed. "He just thought you'd learn better if you had an equal to fight with."

"I can live with that explanation, and here I was, harboring this grudge against your father for _that_."

"Oh give me a break you two," Terra grumbled darkly, although his eyes were smiling. "You're all exaggerating and I barely even remember any of it. Anyways, what's with the flowers, Zack?"

Zack visibly drooped as if Terra had just kicked his puppy. "It's our anniversary, don't you remember…?" Silence ensued and he snorted, rolling his eyes. "It's for Aqua, duh."

Terra was confident he had his fair share of awkward moments for the day when he scowled. Tifa was still chuckling when she asked, "Really now?"

"What?" Zack asked defensively, holding the flowers closer to his chest. "Everyone is getting her flowers! Well everyone except Axel; he told me he had to spend his last paycheck on replacing his oven after it caught fire last weekend, but he sends his condolences. Anyway, didn't you think of getting her flowers too? It's like common courtesy… or something." He scratched the back of his head.

"No," Tifa answered on his behalf before he could stop her. "He's in the middle of denying his true feelings at the moment."

"I'm not—_what?_ I'm not denying anything," Terra said a little too quickly, paying no attention to the irony. He doubted the burning sensation returning to his cheeks did much to help his case. Then he stiffened. If the thought of getting flowers was enough to make him flush, then did those lilies in Zack's arms right now mean what he thought they meant…?

Zack was bemused but he just shrugged, unaware of his best friend's scrutiny. "Whatever, man. Other people are gonna stop by too, just saying. I want to be the first though." He winked at Terra, much to the other's chagrin and with that, slipped into the other room.

"That guy," both Terra and Tifa sighed in exasperation, shaking their heads.

-x-X-x-

The next day mirrored the last, but this time it was just Terra and Ven. Terra slumped back in his own chair with one leg resting on the other while his head tilted against a closed fist. His blue eyes constantly blurred and unblurred as he dozed in and out of his Humanities textbook. Ven was drooling on his math textbook—Terra had given up trying to teach him long division since he barely got the subject himself. Aqua would've been absolutely proud if she saw them now.

"T'rra…?" Ventus moaned tiredly.

"Huh?" Terra responded, shutting his book and giving up. Ansem was going to have to wait an extra day for his report, no big deal.

"What time is it?"

Terra checked his watch. "Four o'clock."

"Oh…" Ven sighed, "Sorry you have to wait here with me."

Terra reached over and ruffled his hair but the younger boy was too tired to protest. "I didn't feel like doing Kendo today, but Zack's subbing for me and Tifa said it'd be fine, so stop worrying your little head off."

"Sorry." He yawned. "Terra?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

Ven rubbed his eyes as he frowned, laying his chin against the armrest to face him. For another minute, he just stayed like that and Terra frowned as he waited for him to go on.

"Come on, you can spit it out."

The younger boy huffed, pouting slightly. "There's something that I want to tell you. I didn't know who to talk to at first but… I think you're the right person." He paused as he looked uncertainly over at his sister. "I promised Aqua I wouldn't tell, but that was because she told me she would be fine... And she's not."

His frown deepened as he leaned in closer. Did he really have the right to listen in on what Ven had to say? Sure it was obvious that he was telling him out of his own free will, but it was apparently Aqua's secret and he felt that he certainly had no business poking around in that, especially not after she trusted him with so much. However, the tiny voice in his head pulled on his curiosity and the confliction in those sky blue eyes staring at him drew his concern. Ven was practically pleading with him. "What is it?"

Ventus lowered his conflicted gaze. "Aqua breaks curfew almost every night for something—she won't tell me what—it's so we can afford our bills, she says. I thought it would be okay but… " He bit his lip as he shook his head. "Aqua would be so mad if she knew I just told you."

"She breaks curfew…?" Terra didn't really expect that when he gripped the arm of his chair. If Ven was telling him this _now_, then it could only mean he was implying a connection—

"Sometimes she doesn't come home until a few hours before school starts. It's hard on her and I wish she would just—" He wasn't given a chance to finish when a soft groan sounded from the bed, interrupting him.

Sheets shifted around with a rustle and the beeping picked up slightly as the occupant of the hospital bed stirred. Ven and Terra watched in stunned silence as Aqua slowly sat up. Her movements were slow and visibly agonizing, but the tired smile on her lips was no doubt the best thing either of them have seen that entire week.

Her face warmed up at the sight of them as her smile brightened. "Good morning you two."

-x-X-x-

Aqua prepared herself for the bone-crushing hug from Ven, but when her younger brother threw his arms around her, he did so gently and she knew it probably took all of his will power not to squeeze her back into unconsciousness. He was warm against her and his spiky hair was soft under her chin. She smiled warmly as she held him, caressing his head gently even though her muscles ached beyond belief. She looked up to find Terra standing not too far from her, smiling as he watched them with his arms crossed.

She mouthed a _thank __you_ but he only shook his head, pointing beside her. She followed the gesture and a wonderful sight met her.

Her bedside table was laden with an array of flowers, cards, and boxes of chocolate. Another table had been pulled up to support several more bouquets and ornamental pots. A few balloons hung in the corner and Aqua could only guess that those and the pink daisies were from Kairi. Every name, every tiny card she saw with an embellished message filled her heart with little bursts of warmth—it was more than enough to make her forget about the pain.

Ventus sniffed and pulled away. His eyes were wet and he wiped them, mumbling incoherently. Aqua laughed softly as she kissed his forehead. "Why are you crying, silly?"

Tears left her own eyes as everything sunk in. The flowers and their scent touched her heart to no end and Aqua found herself sniffing and hiccupping while she continued to smile. All of it was too much and she didn't know how she was supposed to accept all of this. She never expected to wake up to some place warm; surrounded by Ven, Terra, and everyone else in the form of the gifts they left her.

Terra laughed softly as he brought their heads together and Aqua couldn't help but stifle a chuckle at the sight of _Terra_having misty eyes.

"You two and the waterworks," he said, smiling deeply. "Didn't I tell you, Aqua? You're not alone."

Aqua wasn't sure what she was trying to say when she threw her arms around his neck but when she pulled away, the light in his eyes told her he understood and Aqua could only repeat _Thank Y__ou_ within her head a hundred more times.

-x-X-x-

It wasn't long before the others showed up and Aqua was showered with several more hugs and little stories about what went on while she was out. According to them, she was asleep for over one and a half days, but she certainly didn't feel like the rest paid off—she barely had enough energy to do much more than laugh and smile with the others. She loved the company and she felt such an immense and heart-warming sense of appreciation for them, but her body couldn't help but slump in relief when the doctor asked for everyone to leave and allow her to rest. She knew they'd be back in a few hours to say goodnight, but the time to herself was enough to get her thinking.

She remembered her dream, but it felt so far-off and abstract that several details still seemed hazy to her. She didn't want to think about it, but Aqua knew she couldn't shy away from what happened in the past. However, she _didn__'__t _know what happened on that fateful day, and she didn't know if her dream was a forgotten memory or just a nightmare. She hoped it was the latter—the thought of it alone was enough to chill her heart.

Aqua sighed and slipped her fingers through the buttoned front of her gown. For the first time in a while, her wounds were professionally dressed and they didn't seem as bad as before when she first got them, but she could only say that for the cuts and minor fractures—with or without magic, they would heal soon enough. However, the winding ridge of stitches that ran from her collar all the way down to her hip made her realize how lucky she was to be laying here, awake and alive. Her fingers traced the line where her severed skin met before pulling away. The moment she sat up, she knew her body was literally held together by the seams and she knew better than to let the others see, no matter how many questions they asked her.

She simply told them she could not remember.

Aqua only wanted to rest and spend her waking time with her friends. Frankly, she was sick of the Darkness, but things had to be done and she was the only one who could do them.

Closing her eyes, Aqua reached out with her consciousness.

_Shio, Nami, please answer me…_

Two faint blue lights appeared beneath her eyelids and Aqua immediately felt what little energy she had left drain.

'_Miss, we're here.'_

'_Look at you, Miss… You're a master of magic and you don't even have enough power left to summon your own familiars. Please hurry with what you have to say.'_

_I know, but it's only temporary and this is important. Nami, I want you to find the Master and report my condition. And Shio…?_

The orb of light on the left bobbed in response. _'__Yes, __Miss?__'_

_Find the man named Axel, he owes me a favor…_

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: **For a Terqua story, Aqua sure kisses Ven an awful lot P:_

_Finals are tomorrow so I decided I might as well go ahead and publish this. I've decided to lower my guideline for chapter lengths. To avoid rambling fics, I think I'm gonna go from over 5000 words to 3000 words. It might be a bit hard, but I'll be able to do it :'D Unless you guys want me to stick with longer chapters, but you'd have to tell me that haha._

_I'm totally in a Xemnas/Aqua mood *-* but stories for the pairing are so scarce... Lol maybe I can add one to a to-do list if I get any ideas :) _

_Next Chapter: Aqua juggles her life around while her beloved mentor questions the true meaning of "will" and "purpose". _

_Thanks for reading and please review! I'll see you all later :)_


	10. Best Wishes and Denial

Aqua sighed and settled back down into the hospital bed when she felt the presence of her familiars fade away. She was finally given a moment to breath.

But something struck her and she sat up again. It just occurred to her that she was missing something important, something she forgot about until now. Her keychain was nowhere to be found—not on the tables or trays, and not on top of her salvaged clothing.

She barely had enough energy to cast another spell and with no keyblade at her disposal, she was absolutely defenseless.

-x-X-x-

**X:** Best Wishes and Denial

-x-X-x-

Axel leaned over, frowning as he fiddled with one of the knobs to his new stove. Twisting it only resulted in empty clicking and no flame. He had spent a whole ten minutes trying to figure the damn thing out and the macaroni was definitely not going to cook itself on its own.

_And __there __it __goes, __ticking __like __a __clock __through __my __disappointed __soul_, Axel thought to himself, rolling his eyes. He resisted the urge to call forth his newfound powers and start the fire himself—that's what he did the other week when he brilliantly tried to ignite his gas-powered stove the cool way, only to have it explode in his face.

"Axel, I'm hungry," came an over-dramatic wail from the sofa. Roxas was sprawled on his furniture, laying on his back as he flipped through whatever was on TV. His half-finished homework was tossed in disarray not too far from where he was lolling around, but the two of them knew that they were both done with studying for the night. "Remind me to get you easy-mac next time we drop by the store."

"I'm working on it," growled Axel through clenched teeth. Since when were kitchen appliances so intent on making his life difficult? Hopefully it wasn't because of the fire demon currently snoozing in his heart. "Good food takes time, fake cheese or not."

Axel could practically hear the other's eyes rolling as he jumped up from the couch, stretching and yawning. "Well I'm going to the bathroom."

"Whatever, you didn't have to tell me that," he replied and Roxas only laughed as he left him alone.

The stovetop finally sparked to life as the flames ignited below the saucepan. Axel inadvertently cheered by throwing up his arms and the flames faithfully followed his moments, nearly scorching his face in the process. The redhead coughed and batted the fire back down before huffing tiredly.

Finally, he could sit and take it easy.

"_Hello, mister Axel."_

Axel cursed and almost knocked over his pot of macaroni and water when he whirled around, wondering who in the world said that. He didn't remember inviting any creepy girl voices into his apartment last time _he_ checked.

Maybe the source of the creepy girl voice was the glowing blue orb floating in front of him. The orb trembled a bit and Axel stepped away, backing up into the stove. The light finally held still as it transformed into the shape of a glowing blue fish—a round little goldfish to be exact.

"Oh, please don't tell me you're here because you're mad about being flushed down the—"

"_Master Aqua sent me to look for you, she wishes for you to return a favor."_

Axel blinked. It wasn't surprising that that woman had something to do with this goldfish-ghost-thing. It was probably one of those magic or spirit shenanigans that she was probably entangled in. "_Master_ Aqua? Are you her personal messenger or something?"

The fish bobbed its headas if it were nodding. _"__In __a__way. __I __am __one __of __her __faithful __familiars__—__her __soul __gives __me __shape __so __I __carry __out __her __will.__"_

Axel wasn't sure what to make of this. _So __apparently __there __are __demon __hunters, __demons, __and __animal __spirit __things __called __familiars. __How __could __I __not __have __known __this __before? _He supposed a glowing blue goldfish was girly enough for the cerulean-haired woman—it fit her to a tee when he thought about it. "Gotcha… So what type of favor does she want anyway?"

"_It concerns her brother, Ventus, who you are surely familiar with. As you know, my master is currently out of commission and she wishes for you to watch over him until she is well again."_

"Wait, she wants me to babysit—?"

"_Miss __Aqua __lacks __the __energy __to __maintain __any __more __protective __wards __so __that __is __why __she __requires __your __help,__" _the goldfish explained, answering his unspoken questions.

Axel pulled up a bar stool and sat on it. He thought about his options as the goldfish patiently waited for him, floating there.

"I'm not sure… I'm busy and school is a bitch, so…"

Sadness filled those little fish eyes as they stared balefully up at him. _"__But __mister__—__!__" _It cried out, its mysterious demeanor suddenly giving way as it swished its tail frantically.

"…I probably do need another distraction," Axel finished, sighing deeply. He'll probably regret it in the morning but that woman Aqua backed him into a corner. If someone like her was _that_ banged up, then no doubt an unprotected and unaware Ven was easy prey. "Tell her to send him over soon—I don't answer the door after twelve."

The fish continued to stare at him before letting out a cry of what he guessed was joy. It swam around his head in a circle, saying, _"__She__'__ll __be __grateful __to __hear __that, __thank __you!__" _before vanishing in a flash of blue light. Axel blinked and rubbed his eyes.

The sound of bubbling came from the stove and he realized with a start that the macaroni was boiling over.

-x-X-x-

He blocked out the world—or at least, whatever was irrelevant to what he was doing now. His legs stood wide apart as he held himself close to the ground, determined not to lose his balance. He blinked slowly as he timed each breath—every second a minute to him. In his hands, he gripped the wooden handle of a fake katana. He struck, once, twice, and successfully disarmed his opponent whose weapon was knocked from his hands.

The color returned to his vision as he straightened his back, smirking triumphantly.

"Aw man, I'm really out of it today, huh?" Zack groaned, kneeling down to retrieve his sword.

"Just a bit, but come on… I know you can do better than that, Zack," Terra replied, resting the dull side of his sword against his shoulder. "What's on your mind?"

Zack grinned up at him and Terra couldn't help but notice that there was a faint flush of color in his cheeks. "So you could tell that easy? Well I guess it can't be helped then—I'm asking Aqua on a date, and it's not gonna just be _any_ date, it's for Homecoming." He practically jumped in excitement when he stood back up. "Awesome, huh?"

Oh. _Oh._

Terra smiled to reflect his best friend's enthusiasm, but for some reason, his heart disagreed with his head as it beat woefully within his chest. "That's great… What do you think she'll say?"

"Beats me," Zack said nonchalantly. He shrugged and began a series of squats, swinging his arms in the process. "I really, _really_ hope she'll say yes though. I asked her in the note with the flowers I got her earlier—the florist said they're good luck. Do you think she read it yet?"

"Well there's only one way to find out. You can ask her for real when we come back in an hour."

"Yeah…" The black-haired young man stopped for a moment as he stared off wistfully. Suddenly, he frowned. "Terra, wait a minute…"

Terra stuck his training sword into the ground a little harder than necessary before leaning on it. "What's up now?"

Zack turned to face him, looking a little worried and uncertain for once. "You like her too, don't you?"

"I—" Terra straightened himself as his chest constricted painfully all of a sudden. "—Not at all, where did you get that idea?"

"You can't fool me like that," Zack said, spinning his weapon between his fingers. He sighed and lowered his gaze—Terra did the same. "Man… I didn't even know until now."

Terra plopped down onto the ground, huffing. For some reason, beating Zack seemed less satisfying than before. "She's a friend—stop making things more complicated than they are."

The other didn't seem so convinced. "Are you sure? I mean, now that I think back on you two, it just seems a tiny bit obvious… I think. Tifa is way better at this than I am, maybe I should've talked with her first…"

_It__'__s__… __obvious? __What__'__s __obvious? _How could that be when he himself wasn't even sure about his own feelings? He cared about Aqua and she made herself out to be a close friend to him, but anything beyond that was so confusing to think about. Terra turned his face away as he flushed—could he even imagine himself with her? Then again, it was hard for him to imagine her with his best friend, he figured with a bitter snicker.

"Yeah, Tifa is way better at this than you are," Terra replied casually. "I said she's my friend and besides, I don't think I'll be going to the dance anyways."

Zack crossed his arms. "No way, you're coming and even if only one of us has a date, it'll still be like last year—I promise." He paused for a moment as a look of realization dawned on his face. "Maybe we can find someone else—!"

_I think you're more in-tuned with your feminine side than you know, buddy._

"I'll consider." Terra's mouth twitched and for a fleeting moment, he genuinely pictured himself looping arms with Aqua. Well, he could probably humor Zack for a bit as he stood back up, readying his wooden sword in front of him. "But stop looking at me like that—you don't have to demote yourself to matchmaker. I said I don't mind… but on second thought, you might want to find another girl…" He smirked, "Aqua is way out of your league, man."

Zack opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. "H-hey!" He stammered. "Weren't you being encouraging just a minute ago? Oh—wait, I get it… You're trying to mess up my Zen and make me lose control of my emotions or something so you can beat me again. I don't think so, I'm way ahead of you, Terra."

Terra pointed his sword at him. "Best two out of three?"

Zack flashed him a grin. "Bring it."

The two friends went back to sparring, but they never managed to finish a single match. The timer rung before either of them could strike down the other. Even then, they continued to fight until both of them were short of breath and sweat dripped liberally down their foreheads. When a silent understanding passed between them, the two boys threw down their weapons and collapsed onto the floor, wiping their faces with the sleeves of their uniform.

"Tie?"

"Whatever."

The sky had darkened considerably and Terra guessed they had a couple hours before nightfall. The evening air was forgiving on their skin though, and the breeze that ruffled their hair as they rode back to the hospital was a godsend.

After dismounting, Terra slipped both thumbs under the edge of his helmet to pull it off, but a terrible screeching suddenly filled his ears. He grit his teeth and wrenched the helmet off, looking around in alert.

"What the hell was that?"

Zack turned to face him. "What was what?"

"That sound… it was like nails on chalkboard, screaming even."

His friend frowned as he cocked an eyebrow. "I hear crickets and cars, but no screaming. Are you chickening out already? I mean, I know you hate hospitals and all—"

"That's not it," Terra snapped. How could he not have heard? "I swear I just heard it, I'm not going crazy…" He trailed off and when Zack opened his mouth to speak, he raised a hand to silence him as he listened intently.

Sure enough, there was something else besides the rush of cars and crickets chirping. It was a subtle, wailing sound and as he listened closer, he found that it was actually made up of several voices stacked on top of each other. They were a far cry from the high-pitched screeching he heard a second ago, but the wailing chilled him to the bone all the same. His eyes darted to the other, searching for some sort of indication that he heard it. There was none and Zack looked as confused as ever.

"Can't… you hear it?" He asked, almost desperately.

Zack shook his head. "No… Terra you're freaking me out, let's go."

Terra looked over his shoulder to see if the source was behind him. It wasn't and the echo of Zack's words within his head caused the last of the cries to die out. "Yeah… sorry. It was probably nothing."

The other didn't seem so sure as they started walking. "You said you were hearing things too when we first found you, don't you remember?"

"I… It was different though. It was a little girl screaming, and that… Well I'm not sure what _that_ was. Didn't we figure it was just Tifa? I mean, it was just you, her, and her father."

"True, not that she would admit something like that." Zack sighed and rubbed his temples. "Whatever, this talk of voices is freaky. Let's hurry up and find Aqua."

Terra complied; he didn't want to talk about it either.

-x-X-x-

Aqua sighed deeply. She loved her brother, but this was turning into a headache.

"I want to stay here with you!"

"You know you can't do that, Ven. You have work still, and I want you to go to school tomorrow."

"Forget school," Ven said, almost angrily. "I can make it all up later—family comes first, doesn't it?"

"Ven…" Aqua said gently, "I'll be fine, it's just for one more day—"

"No!" Ven shouted, stunning Aqua into silence. The blonde lifted a hand to his mouth as if he was surprised with himself too. He shook his head and lowered his gaze. "You always tell me you're going to be fine, Aqua, but look at you now. Don't you hate it when you have to worry about me? That feeling that squeezes your gut… it's bad isn't it? Because that's what I feel right now and I can barely stand it.

"But I get it, I can't stay. That's not it, though—I may be your little brother, but you're still my sister, Aqua. The stuff you do that I don't know about, I don't like it, whatever it is. I'll go to Axel's like you said, but I want you to stop hiding things from me," Ven finished with a pleading look in his eyes.

Aqua gave in, but she resisted the urge to avert her gaze. "I put you through a lot… I know, and I'm sorry." How was she supposed to explain the truth to him? How was she supposed to explain that his parents were murdered and that she slays monsters while he sleeps? How was she supposed to explain the strange power that coursed through her blood, giving her unbelievable strength and regenerative abilities?

How could she tell him… that she was not the same girl after _their_ parents' murder?

"We can talk more… after," was all she said.

Ventus's shoulders slumped but he seemed just a tiny bit satisfied with that. "Sorry for pushing that on you… I've just been bottling it up lately." He scratched his head. "That's not healthy, huh?"

"No," Aqua replied, "but I shouldn't be talking. We'll sit down and talk about everything though, okay? I promise."

Ven nodded, a small smile forming on his lips. "Yeah… Good night, Aqua. Get well soon—it's not just me that misses you, you know."

Aqua returned the smile and gazed around at the flowers and cards she had yet to read. "Yes, I know. Good night, Ven."

-x-X-x-

Aqua was in the midst of reading one of the many cards that the others left for her when the two of them walked in.

"You two… look worn out," she remarked with a wry smile.

Both guys straightened their backs while pressing and smoothing down their own hair.

"We sparred at Tifa's to pass the time," Terra explained.

Zack was nervous. His skin was a deeper shade than usual and he seemed to be adjusting his collar a little more than normal. Terra stifled a chuckle, but his amusement was short-lived when his gaze flittered to the bundle of lilies.

_What are you getting all bitter for? You deserve this so get over it._

Aqua was right—both of them probably did look terrible right now, but the young woman didn't seem to be in the brightest of moods either.

_She looks… worried almost._

Zack opened his mouth to speak but Aqua didn't seem to notice when she looked around. "Zack, Terra… did anyone happen to bring in a silver keychain? It looks like a raindrop and it has a blue jewel. I know it sounds odd, but it's precious to me and I've always carried it around." Her eyebrows furrowed and Terra tried not to look too deeply into her face. "It's not here though… I hope no one stole it."

"I can ask one of the nurses," he offered. "They could've missed it. If not, we'll find it for you, Aqua."

Zack nodded. "I'll come—"

Terra shook his head, cutting him off. "No, you should keep her company." He gave him a quick look and glanced at the white lilies. "I won't take long."

Aqua sat up, appearing a little more concerned, but grateful. "Oh, thank you. Please don't worry about it too much though."

"No problem," he said before leaving the two alone. He closed the door behind him and sighed. Well, he had a job to do now.

The hospital seemed a bit more unsettling at night—fewer people were out and about, and the windows that lead outside showed nothing but the night. It was almost lonely.

Terra really, _really_hated hospitals.

At first he wasn't really concerned with his phobia when he had Aqua to worry about, but as he stood there in the empty hallway, it all came inkling back to him. Either way, it wasn't like Aqua needed him, right?

_Are you really okay with that?_

Terra frowned and walked away. Why was he sulking? And why did his heart ache with every beat?

"Terra?"

Terra whirled around to find that it was just Ven, much to his relief.

"Are you okay?"

"Dandy. I was just going to go ask someone about Aqua's keychain."

"Keychain? Well the nurses don't have it." Ventus blinked, glancing at the closed door. "Zack's here too? What are they doing in there?"

"Zack's going to ask Aqua out for Homecoming," he answered a little too flatly.

Ven brightened up at that. "Wow, really? I bet she'll be super excited for that—Aqua's never gone on a date before…" He covered his mouth. "Oops, I'm not sure if that was supposed to be a secret or not."

Terra couldn't help but smile a little. "It's not like I'm gonna go around telling people."

-x-X-x-

Aqua's cheeks were burning and her eyes were wide as the fingers of her left hand rested upon her open lips. She probably looked ridiculous like that since her black eye and bruises still haven't healed all the way. She was far from concerned about her appearances though.

"…What?" She asked in disbelief.

Zack was beaming at her. At first, she didn't understand why he was acting so _restless_ until he finally asked her the question, and it didn't take long for him to regain his confidence after he handed the lilies to her. "I said, how about one date for Homecoming?"

"Homecoming?" Aqua echoed. "I… didn't think anyone would ask me." Her blush deepened. Kairi was right and now she was fumbling around like a fool. "And I've never gone to a dance, and oh gosh…"

Zack wasn't deterred. "That's okay—I can show you how things are done, but what do you say?"

Aqua wasn't sure what to say, or how to react. A dozen excuses flooded her mind and her duties weren't going to vanish just for the night called Homecoming, but then again, it wouldn't hurt to say yes and she _did_ want to find out what was so fun about it. It wasn't like Zack was pressuring her into some sort of commitment either and needless to say, his excitement was quite contagious.

"I suppose… it won't hurt," she finally ceded, lowering her nose into the flowers shyly. There was something odd about them.

Zack cheered and Aqua couldn't help but laugh when he threw his arms around her. He let go quickly and flashed her a 1000-watt smile before saying something about telling the others as he rushed out.

Aqua blinked, the warmth still lingering in her face. She returned her attention back to the flowers, rubbing the waxy petals between her fingers. Clipped to them was a small card sporting a hasty drawing of what seemed to be Zack himself flashing the peace sign. She smiled and set the card aside.

Suddenly, the flowers came to life with a soft glow and Aqua almost dropped them out of surprise. Pulsating gently, a mysterious and warm energy emanated from them. From the surface of the petals, the light traveled up her fingertips before spreading throughout her entire body. Her skin tingled where the energy touched her and within seconds, the glow vanished entirely and Aqua was left feeling refreshed and strangely vitalized. She stared at her hands in absolute wonder as the pain in her body quickly faded away.

_This healing magic… Is this Zack's doing?_

It seemed unlikely to her that the other knew anything about magic, but if it wasn't him that embedded the spell, then who…?

Aqua sunk back into bed, feeling much better. She couldn't complain at all—the magic felt wonderful. She supposed she could look the other way and leave it at that and whatever the Order didn't know wouldn't hurt them…

Now all that was left was to find her missing keyblade.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: _**_It's Thanksgiving break for me, but I have so many things to do, it's hardly a break haha. I forgot what I was going to say here so I'm just going to leave it at that. Happy holidays everyone!_


	11. The Witch

_**A/N:** Sorry for the huge break I took! My only excuse is school but since I've just gotten done with break, I had some time to write this up :) There's a lot of new stuff going on, but there's some recap as well. Enjoy and thank you for reading/reviewing!_

-x-X-x-

**XI: **The Witch

-x-X-x-

Time passed by slowly at the hospital. Seeing Zack practically do _cartwheels_ out of Aqua's room told him one thing—she said yes. Terra smiled slightly, whether it be amusement or a grimace.

Tifa was quick on arriving. She dropped in for a brief visit and she and Aqua had some sort of "girl talk"—one of which the three boys were not invited to. Afterwards, she took Zack with her (by the ear no less; Terra did not envy him) and he and Ventus stayed behind to spend the last of their visiting hours with Aqua.

"The staff says they only found you with your messed up clothes. They searched the scene too—no keychain, I'm sorry," Terra explained, rubbing his head.

Aqua was visibly disappointed but she smiled tiredly and Terra could only return the gesture with a pained expression.

"Don't worry about it… I probably misplaced it somewhere else," she said, "Do the police still want to talk to me? I said I couldn't remember anything."

Ven shook his head before Terra could answer. "No, I told them to leave you alone. You don't have to worry about it for now. Even the doctors said you might trouble remembering some stuff."

"I can deal," she chuckled, "This is embarrassing, getting beat up like this. Anyways, you two should be going home now, especially you Ven. It's already been more than one day—no more excuses."

Ven groaned deeply with both lungs and diaphragm and everything. Before he could protest further, Terra decided to do Aqua a favor and herd the younger boy out of the room.

"G' Night, Aqua. We'll be back tomorrow," he promised before closing the door.

Ven whined as he continued to lead him out into the lobby.

"She's making me stay at _Axel's," _he complained as if that was the worst thing in the world.

Terra cocked an eyebrow. "Well his macaroni is terrible but he isn't that bad."

"No, I know that," he backtracked, "but why can't I stay overnight? Don't family members get that special privilege or something? I read it in a book."

"Maybe, not sure, but maybe Aqua just wants a night to herself. She was unconscious for the past two days so that doesn't count—I don't blame her for wanting some peace and quiet… Not that you're too much energy for her to handle or anything," he hastily added.

"Oh… I didn't think of that," Ven said bowing his head, "But _still… —!"_

Terra had promptly picked the blonde up by the waist and plopped him on the shoulders, despite the fact that he was only ten inches taller than him—less than a foot which was supposed to be some rule of thumb to carrying people on your shoulders or something. He figured that didn't matter since this guy was as light as a feather.

Ven still clung to his brown mess as if he was going to drop him any moment though.

"I've had enough of your negativity for the night," Terra scolded him jokingly. "I'm carrying you to the parking lot and I hope everyone sees you and realize how much of a negative Nancy you are being today. Cheer up, will you?"

"_I'm not five years old—!" _Ven wailed, still clinging to his head. Terra couldn't help but laugh as he kept a secure hold on the other's shins.

"Relax, I'm not going to drop you. See these arms? Yeah."

Ven stopped fighting and shaking once he gave him a chance to steady himself. Instead, he started pulling on his brown locks. "Why does this chunk of hair keep sticking up? Do you use super glue or something? _Woah—watch the door!"_

"Sorry," Terra hummed, though not sorry at all, as he promptly walked out of the hospital building. He suddenly bent his knees, sending Ven to strangle his hair again. "Better?"

"_Not funny," _Ventus growled, laughing at the same time. His voice faded into a sigh and he shamelessly plopped his chin down in the middle of his hair. "You know, Aqua used to carry me like this."

Terra arched an eyebrow, looking up at him even though he could only catch a glimpse of the blonde ends of his hair. "How small were you?"

"Not very small—" Terra could imagine him pouting "—I mean we were all the same size back then. We took turns of course—we did stuff like leap frog and everything."

"Just you two?"

"Pretty much, yeah. Our old town was a railroad stop. Aside from that, it was super small and we lived miles away from our neighbors. People would pass through, come and go, but no one really ever stayed for long. What about you, Terra? Do you have any siblings?"

Terra whistled thoughtfully. "I might," he said, "but I don't live with them, and I don't know who or where they are."

Ven was silent for a moment.

"…Oh. That's weird, how come?"

"I'm adopted, or something. Well maybe not really… I'm old enough and I have a steady job, and that's all that matters in the system really."

"You live alone?" Ventus sounded perplexed. "How do you pay for… stuff?"

Terra couldn't help but chuckle a little at that. "The same way Aqua pays for your stuff I guess. I live in a complex owned by Zack's family and I work at the dojo for the Lockhearts to pay rent. It's really not that bad of a life—it's liberating actually."

"Huh, maybe I should get a job too. It's the least I can do since Aqua tries too hard."

Terras nodded, remembering that Aqua was on her own, just like him. He felt a tinge of sympathy since he knew her position well. "Ven, do you remember when we first met, you said something about you and Aqua not being related?"

"Uh-huh, I think I do, why?"

"Which one of you was it?"

"Me," Ven answered without needing elaboration. "Aqua's mom and dad were really nice to me when they took me in—kind of like my old parents, but I don't remember them much. It was such a long time ago."

"I remember them, my own I mean," Terra said, "And it sounds strange, but I have holes here and there where I can't remember a thing. Do you get that?"

Ven thought for a moment. "I don't really know… I think it's just me forgetting. I mean, maybe it's because my life only really got going when I was Aqua's brother." He sighed guiltily. "Is that bad to say about my old mom and dad?"

"I don't think so," he answered. "Hold on." He got on one knee and Ven hopped from his shoulders with ease, barely making a sound when he touched the ground.

"Can I ask another question? Sorry Terra, it's just this is the first time I really got to talk about it with someone besides Aqua." He look down and shuffled his feet, sending ripples through the shallow puddle he was standing in. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it anymore though."

Terra ruffled his hair, eyes softening. He felt the same way, but he wasn't as open as Ven, nor was he willing to admit he felt the same as him. Still, it was… nice finding someone just like him who was able to understand, even if it was only a little bit. Of course Tifa and Zack were there for him. After they figured he wandered into Radiant Garden delirious and bare-footed, he had no trouble inspiring their deepest sympathies—but sympathy was not empathy and he was quite starved in that aspect, no matter how much he tried to deny it.

"Course not, I'm the one who brought it up in the first place."

Ven nodded numbly as Terra turned away to unbuckle his helmet from the bars of his motorcycle. "Do you… Do you think we were let go because we weren't wanted anymore? Sort of like how kids get sick of their toys?"

Terra tried to unclip the buckle. The hook jammed, pinching his thumb before he tore it off impatiently with a jerk. It was an honest question—Terra understood that. Terra also understood that Ventus was probably too young to remember his parents' faces the night of his abandonment. Unfortunately, he wasn't as lucky and he knew exactly why he was left on his own.

"No, I don't think that's the case," he lied, offering the helmet to Ven. "Our parents were… or are adults, not kids. They probably did the best they could at the time. I mean, I'm not saying we have to understand the decision they made, but it's no use questioning our own value. We have people who still care about us, isn't that right?"

"Yeah," Ven agreed, brightening up a little, "I have Aqua and you and Axel and everyone else at school." He took the helmet. "Hey, what's this for?"

"I don't want your sister gutting me if something bad happened," he said, grinning crookedly.

"But I'd feel bad—" Ven started uncertainly but Terra hushed him.

"Driver makes the rules. Driver says put on the helmet, it's getting late."

"I'm buying you a second one for your birthday," he grumbled, conceding. Terra only chuckled as he mounted his motorcycle, scooting forward a little to make room.

"Hold on, a helmet won't do you any good if you start tumbling down the freeway."

"Darn," Ventus huffed in deep exasperation. "Well I guess that ruins my plans for the night."

-x-X-x-

The skin of her front stretched against the stitches uncomfortably with every move she made, but Aqua couldn't help but force herself to the hospital window to watch Terra and Ven leave the parking lot. Seeing them talk and smile filled her with a pleasing warmth—she had to admit that Terra carrying Ven on his shoulders was sort of cute. She remembered she used to do the same thing when they were still small.

After the rumble of Terra's motorcycle faded from her ears, she collapsed back into bed, covering her forehead with the back of her hand. There were so many things she needed to take care of—her keyblade, and that one man with the silver hair.

The one who murdered her parents in their own living room. She remembered him now.

Aqua closed her eyes and listened deeply to the tick of the clock.

The continuous ticking that suddenly… stopped.

Puzzled, Aqua reopened her eyes and took the trouble of sitting up. The clock was frozen, and that wasn't it.

She smelled darkness in the air and sure enough, a doorway leading to the void opened up before her. She instinctively threw out her arm to summon her keyblade before remembering that she was without it—without a weapon and without luck.

"I-I'm not here to hurt you," came the soft voice of a girl.

Blue eyes widened as the owner of the voice stepped from the swirling darkness, dressed in white. A much taller figure clad in black followed behind her before the portal vanished.

"You… Namine, isn't it?" Aqua asked, still sitting up from her bed, dumbfounded.

The girl named Namine nodded, holding a hand to her chest as the dark figure continued to stand silently behind her like a guard.

"I've always wanted to meet you, Aqua."

"You know me," Aqua stated, although it was more of a question than a statement. "You tried to tell me about Ifrit and I wanted to talk to you for once, but I kept on forgetting—" she shook her head, "—I'm normally not that forgetful."

Namine lowered her pale blue gaze like a child caught in the middle of misbehaving. "The fault is mine. I had to manipulate your memories in a way that you wouldn't approach me and attract attention, but I did a messy job. My… caretaker did not want me to interfere, but I didn't want Axel to get hurt either. You saved him despite my mistakes, so thank you."

Aqua nodded in acknowledgement, but she was still confused. "You knew what would happen? You're a magic-user?"

"More like magic uses me," Namine corrected, smiling softly but bitterly. "I have dreams and visions of the 'future' mostly, but I can't control what I see."

Aqua tried to sit up, but her injuries made it difficult even with the soothing spell she received from Zack's flowers. She winced as she moved to the edge of the bed instead. "I appreciated it and I don't mean to be rude, but why didn't you just tell me yourself? Why a picture?"

"The future is not something that is written in stone—" came the deep voice of the stranger standing to the side. "—but deviating from 'fate' spells instability. Namine can see the future, but as a result, she cannot interfere with it."

Aqua's brows furrowed. She was used to studying about paradoxes as well as laws and rules of both science and magic, but she was having trouble grasping what they were trying to say. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I understand. You just said Namine isn't allowed to interfere, but wasn't sending me a picture as a clue interference? Even if it wasn't, what's stopping you from trying to affect the future?"

Namine appeared weary as she exhaled softly. "It's… something simple, but complicated. I'm sure you of all people know the very nature of magic, yes?"

Aqua nodded again, although it was unnerving to learn that this girl knew certain details about her. What else did she know? "I'm not the most capable spell caster out there, but I did study the subject thoroughly. The world we live in is a world dominated by science and logic, elements that are familiar to us as people. However, the world parallel to us, the Darkness Between, is dominated by chaos and wonder—absolute contradictions to the laws science has established."

Namine was listening and she beckoned her to go on. Aqua swallowed and complied, pulling from memory snippets she recalled gathering from textbooks. She wondered what she was trying to get to.

"Magic is the ability to connect from this world to the Darkness Between with a thread. This thread gives us the power to siphon energy and temporary break the laws that dominate this world to accomplish what we need. The energy we borrow though is synchronized with our own energy, so our power isn't unlimited. This also prevents any one person from totally destroying the laws of our world."

"That's right, and do you know the catalyst of magic?"

Aqua frowned. "It's language. Language lets us tap into magic—it was a skill invented and developed by our ancestors. That's why the older languages make better spells than modern ones, although technically any one will work."

"That's it. Language helps us define and control the chaos of magic for our own use. The two are closely related," Namine added, closing her eyes thoughtfully. "You really are capable, Aqua. You see, magic is imbued into my entire being; it defines who I am. As a result, I am subject to its restrictions—language is one of them. Magic allows me to see the future, and since law states that I cannot interfere, I cannot use language to convey what I see. That means I can't speak or write about my visions. This is why I can only draw and hope that someone will understand."

Aqua looked down at her hands, thinking hard and deeply. "That must be really difficult for you, isn't it? Having to be an observer with no power over the events that go on before you."

"It's not easy," she admitted, "but you don't have to worry about me. I know you have your own problems to overcome, and this is why I wanted to see you. This isn't about me, but you… Riku, I think we should return what's rightfully hers."

"Riku?" Aqua asked, peering curiously at the hooded figure. "You're Riku? I sensed you were familiar—but you're covered in darkness. You're Sora's best friend and I ran into you in the hallways. You said something about my…" Aqua paused. "…You have my keychain, don't you?"

Riku, whose face was still hidden by a hood, opened up a palm to reveal a silver charm in the shape of a teardrop. The charm was within her reach, but he didn't offer it to her right away. Instead, he asked, "…Why do you have a keyblade?"

How was she supposed to answer that? It wasn't like she knew herself—the Order as well as the Master said she was "Chosen" but to her, it didn't explain a thing. "I don't know," she answered, "All I know is that I need it to fulfill my mission."

"A mission?" He fell silent for a second. "I see. I took it with me when I found you after your fight with Xemnas. For a moment, I couldn't believe you had a keyblade until I felt the power within your chain." He tossed said keychain and Aqua caught it with both hands, grasping it tightly and drinking in the familiar energy she missed.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised if you two know about Xemnas too."

Both of them nodded and Riku reached up to lower his hood.

Time was still as his hood fell and within seconds, Aqua was on her own two feet with glowing katana in hand, pointing at his exposed throat. A few of her stitches ripped but she didn't care.

Her eyes were wide and livid; normally calm waters glowering with fury. "_You—"_

"Put that down—" Riku hissed, his golden eyes narrowed. However, before either of them could make a move, Namine was between them with arms spread wide.

"Aqua, I know what happened seven years ago—! Just look deeper, you know they're not the same person. This is Riku, you said so yourself," she pleaded, shielding the one she claimed as "Riku". "Please don't hurt him."

Aqua didn't lower her blade, but she secretly complied and read his heart. Even with the murder of her parents involved, she wasn't one for impulse. She found a heart made of terrifying darkness, but with a glimmer of pure light that kept the darkness at bay. Namine was right—this person was not Xemnas. Xemnas was an absolute void she couldn't read. They had the same golden eyes and the same silver hair, but they were not the same person.

Even so, this Riku was a far cry from the Riku she was familiar with at school.

"Who are you?" She finally asked, lowering her sword by a fraction of an inch.

"My name is Riku," he answered flatly as if that was the most obvious thing in the world. "But you're not looking at me—this isn't my real form."

Aqua allowed her arm to lower as she looked on in confusion; this night was beginning to be too much for her to handle. "You have different forms?"

"In a way. Only at night." Riku stared down at his own hand, studying his fingers as if he really was a soul in an unfamiliar body. "I'm the 'emotions' of the one called Xehanort."

"…The emotions of Xehanort," Aqua repeated faintly. Her master's words were returning to her—

"_The entity you call 'Xehanort' was human once, almost forty years from now… Xehanort twisted the very nature of his entire being beyond repair and ascended in order to accommodate his ideals for a perfect world in Darkness… I speculate that Xehanort evaded death since he reached a higher plane of existence that surpassed even death itself… His existence was split between what we will refer to as 'will' and 'emotion'. Aside from the fact that we know they are very real, everything else is lost to us."_

"His existence was split between 'will' and 'emotion'," she echoed. The first half of Xehanort was standing right in front of her, an "abomination to humanity" that she was supposed to destroy.

"That's right, I'm the latter half." Riku crossed his arms as he waited for her next reaction.

"I didn't realize… This isn't what I imagined it to be." Aqua faltered. "You're a student, a human being like me—how can _you_ be a remnant of Xehanort? Xehanort was destroyed eleven years ago, you're sixteen."

"Xehanort was defeated eleven years ago," Namine confirmed, voice soft and patient. "But only his body was destroyed. In fact, it was beyond salvation. This is why his existence lives on inside the hearts of others; his will and emotions needed hosts. His seeds of darkness planted themselves within two hearts in the same manner that the keyblade chose you and another." She looked towards Riku expectantly.

Riku averted his gaze. He reached forward and Aqua tense up. A mix of light and darkness swirled within his palm before shaping itself into a katana that was not unlike hers. The edge was a deep black and the opposite side was lustrous silver. A black metal keychain dangled from the hilt, swinging back and forth like a pendulum. "This is why I'm still myself."

Aqua's head was beginning to hurt.

Riku twirled the keyblade effortlessly and the blade itself cut ribbons of blue light into the air. The blunette reached out with her consciousness and found that the power was genuine—she was staring at a true keyblade. An actual keyblade other than hers.

"This wasn't mine originally," Riku explained. "Three years ago, the piece of Xehanort within me grew too strong for me to handle no matter how much I tried to hold it down. I couldn't understand what was happening—I didn't even know who Xehanort was, or what he tried to do in the past. It was Namine who saved us though."

Namine lowered her head, shaking it. "No, I only helped. Sora made the true sacrifice here."

"Sora… your friend?" Aqua asked, eyes fixed on the keyblade that emanated with both light and darkness.

Riku nodded before dismissing his weapon. "The keyblade chose Sora, not me. Namine appeared to us and explained everything—what the keyblade was, who Xehanort was, and what was happening to me. Sora he… He gave me a piece of his light. It was only a piece, but it was enough to subdue Xehanort's influence. Namine transferred Sora's memories of the keyblade to me so I could continue to fight the darkness. As a result, Sora doesn't remember what's truly out there, or that monsters and keyblades and magic exist."

"He returned to being 'unaware' for you," Aqua said. Their friendship was real and it was enough to thwart Xehanort's influence. This was the first time she had ever heard of such a thing, and she was awed. "You were saved."

"Yes, Riku's safe, but…" Namine bit her lip and rubbed her arms warily, obviously distraught. "I couldn't save the host of Xehanort's 'will'. Even now, I still don't know who it is. Since the two of you have already fought him, it's probably too late for that heart." Her voice shook and Aqua couldn't help but reach out to her and grasp her shoulder. "It's a horrible thing, to have one's heart engulfed by the darkness of another."

Riku spoke up. "Don't bother blaming yourself, Namine. You can't stop everything, especially with those restraints."

"He's right. It was probably too late from the beginning…" _Xehanort killed Ven's parents; Xemnas killed mine. There's a connection there, I see it, but why… why us? "_I suppose that Xemnas is the other half."

"He is," Namine sniffed.

"I've talked to Xemnas, I've felt his thoughts, or his 'will', or whatever," Riku said. "He named himself, and he doesn't talk as if he considers himself an extension of Xehanort. It's like… He's created his own identity, a failed one at that."

"Xemnas is strange and empty, I rarely have dreams of him, and when I do, his face is always blurry." The younger girl sighed again. "I wish I could see him for real."

Aqua was thinking, reflecting on the series of dreams she had while she was unconscious_… I really did meet him in the snow all those years ago. It really was him who did all that. And I really did let him in… It was my fault. _Aqua grimaced and pinched her brow. _It's my entire fault, because I trusted him… I thought he could've been my friend. He was so kind to me._

A tender hand grasped hers and the keyblade warrior looked up, eyes glazed.

"Aqua, please don't," the other whispered.

"I… I know," she sighed. "I can't be thinking about that. There's so much I need to do and I feel horrible confined to this room."

"Can't you heal yourself?" Pointed out Riku.

"I can, but wouldn't it be odd if I walked out the next day when I was supposedly half dead two days ago? The doctors want me in for another week and the police believe the incident was a mugging."

"We can take care of that," Namine said, perking up almost instantly. She seemed pleased to finally be of some tangible help. "You'll be out within a day, no mess at all, just as long as you heal yourself well. There's more I wanted to talk to you about, but locking time is tiring." She pointed to the clock, which was still frozen. "I didn't want to take up your time."

Aqua blinked. "Oh, you didn't have too… I'm used to staying up nights, but thank you. You're really thoughtful, Namine."

"Not really," the blonde flushed, "I just try to help as much as I can."

Riku laid a hand on her petit shoulder. "We should go. There are going to be heartless tonight."

"Heartless…" Aqua bit her lip. She had been so caught up with the Xehanort issue that she forgot about them.

"Don't worry," surprisingly it was Riku assuring her. "I can keep them under control for now. Just focus on yourself."

"I want you to take care," Namine added, dipping her head. "We'll see each other again, and I don't mean just at school. Good night, Aqua."

-x-X-x-

Riku fell from a black crack in the air to the city skyline, silvery hair and cloak trailing behind him. He carried Namine in his arms who held on to his chest tightly.

"Was it really okay telling Ven's sister all of that?" He asked her.

Namine look up at him as they landed soundlessly. Riku took another leap. "You don't trust her?"

Riku didn't answer that.

"She has the keyblade, Riku. She's just like Sora."

"That's hard to believe," he scoffed. "She works for the 'Order', the same Order you told Sora and me the hide our powers from—the same Order you're running away from. They're our enemies, aren't they?"

"I trust Aqua," she said. "And besides, Riku, what would you expect people to do to an abomination they don't understand? Caging it would be the only way to make themselves feel safe—what they did was understandable."

"You're not an abomination, Namine, I've told you a thousand times." Riku grit his teeth, wind whipping his skin. "And that doesn't excuse what they did to you."

Namine braced herself for another leap.

"It shouldn't come as a surprise, I'm their nastiest creation yet."


	12. The Uncherished

_**A/N:** Here's the next chapter. Thank you all for sticking with me this far and for being patient :)_

-x-X-x-

**XII:** The Uncherished

-x-X-x-

"It looks like your godly protégé was put in the hospital after one fight. She's doing a piss-poor job of being a Master if you ask me."

Eraqus sighed deeply as he ran a stone along his blade. It was Braig again. He sensed that Marluxia was present alongside the sharpshooter, but he had no idea why the pair decided to stop outside one of the inconspicuous shrines that lead to the headquarters—the one that Eraqus frequently visited for some time to himself, away from the bureaucracy and people like the two standing behind him.

He knew that they were ordered to travel to Radiant Garden immediately as Aqua's "guardians" after her familiars delivered her condition. He was inwardly shocked to hear the report (he found it hard to believe that Aqua was overpowered by a mere heartless, but he chose not to voice his concerns) and Yen Sid's orders displeased him for many reasons, but the other wasn't to be swayed.

What his former student needed was a break, not these two foxes hounding her down.

"You have nerve," Marluxia reprimanded with a drawl. "That's your superior you're talking about, and that's your other superior you're talking _to_."

Braig opened his mouth to retort but Eraqus spoke up before he got the chance to bite back.

"It'd be unwise to underestimate her," the old master said calmly. "She has already proved herself to the Order—she does not need to prove anything to you. Anyway, don't you have strict orders to go to Radiant Garden? I doubt you have time to dawdle."

"Hey—" Braig held up his hands defensively as Marluxia looked on "—I was just stopping by to see if you needed me to deliver anything to the little jay. Postage gets expensive half-way around the world you know."

A roar split the air and a flock of sparrows frantically deserted a nearby cherry tree as both Marluxia and Braig covered their faces to shield themselves from the resulting rain of leaves. Gray smoke filled the air as the source of the roar revealed itself—an unusually large lion with fur the color of damp earth circled its master once before advancing on the two members. A low growl left its open maw as it fixed its golden eyes on the men before it.

Eraqus returned to sharpening his sword. "I have my means, if you've forgotten."

"Oh, magical familiars—right. Okay I get it, this is a bad time. We're leaving now, kay bye."

"What, wait—" Marluxia began to protest but Braig had already grabbed the collar of his coat and the two vanished in a flash of purple light.

The lion grumbled before returning to the side of its summoner. Eraqus sighed again, allowing his weapon to vanish as he buried a hand into his second familiar's mane. He was rarely this brusque but he had close to zero tolerance for Braig's antics. He was well aware that Aqua shared the same opinion and he quietly apologized to her.

"Perhaps that was a little too much," he wondered aloud.

The beast only rolled its eyes as it plopped down onto the stone ground of the shrine with a heavy _thump_, rolling a stray rock between its paws.

-x-X-x-

Axel's fiery red hair was an utter mess and his lips were upturned in a sort of grimace at the sight of the brunet. "Dude, I hate pizza and it's almost midnight—what took you so long?"

"Nothing, you're just impatient and—" Terra checked his phone "—we have thirty minutes until the cops are out. Anyways I'm not here with free food, only Ven." He tousled the younger boy's hair as he sent him reeling through the doorway. Axel quickly bent his body to make room.

Rubbing the back of his abused head, Ven opened his mouth to complain but another blonde immediately interrupted him.

"Finally—we were counting minutes you know!" came Roxas as he quickly dragged Ventus away, not before waving fleetingly at Terra through the door. "Come on—there's only one bed in the whole apartment, so let's get it before Axel—"

"—Ah, bye Terra! Thanks again!" Ven called as he was pulled out of sight.

"Hey—" Axel was just about to chase after them but thought better of it. Instead, he only settled with shaking his head and running his lanky fingers through his already disheveled mess. "They're children, I swear."

Terra only grinned as he leaned on one leg. "Like you should be talking—and you're the oldest one here. Fancy that, huh?"

"Zip it," Axel hissed, pinching his fingers together in a little coyote-like shape. "How's Aqua doing? Well, aside from being alive."

The smile dropped almost instantly from his face as his expression turned frosty—he looked away from the other less he burn holes through him. "She's awake but…" He clenched his fists tightly. "I think she'll have to stay longer. Her injuries were… were pretty bad."

"Who did it?"

Honestly, if he knew, he wouldn't be here chatting it up with the redhead, but hunting down Aqua's attacker. He only had to imagine what she was put through—he only had to think about the bruises and cuts and bandages and the other telltale signs of a beating in order for his blood to boil.

"That's what the police are trying to figure out," he replied, voice barely level. "They're having trouble since she can't remember the incident very well."

Axel tapped a finger against his jaw thoughtfully. "So she forgot, huh? Well if you're worried about the girl, don't be—she has more spunk than you do. I bet she'll be fine in no time. Anyways…"

Terra waited for him to go on, but Axel remained silent. He frowned and straightened himself. "Anyways what?"

Axel stepped up to him although there was little difference in their height. His sharp green eyes locked with his in sudden scrutiny.

"Who are you?"

For a moment, Terra was at a loss for words before he put well over a foot of distance between them, laughing uncomfortably. "What did you say?"

"You heard me." Axel didn't laugh or chuckle or smile—he looked completely serious.

"That's not a trick question right? I'm Terra, Axel—you know, the one you've known since sixth grade."

Axel still had that odd look in his eyes but he too backed off, crossing his arms. "It's just, that's the first time you opened up to a person like Ven in a long time. Can't blame me for checking, right?"

He didn't sound completely honest there, but for some reason, Terra couldn't help but feel relieved—he seriously thought that Axel lost it. "I'm an open person," he said, wondering if that was even half true, "Have better faith in me."

"Sure…" He chortled, sounding obviously unconvinced. "Maybe when you stop ditching us every Saturday night; loosen up will you? And go home or something; now it's definitely almost twelve."

"Got it, got it, whatever," Terra assured as he began his way out of the hall, eager to leave now. "See you at school."

Axel watched as the other left down the stairs and out of his sights. Frowning still, he shut the door quietly and closed his eyes. The knob simmered when he finally let go of it.

His heart rumbled as Ifrit spoke to him.

"_There is something twisted about that boy."_

"No…" Axel murmured under his breath so the others wouldn't hear. "Not Terra. It was probably nothing."

-x-X-x-

Aqua sighed heavily as she buried her face into the antiseptic-scented pillow she hugged to her body. Her heart felt like it weighed a thousand more pounds and four hours later, she knew she wasn't going to get any sleep.

Having enough of the too-clean hospital smell, the blunette gingerly righted herself, making her way to the small, but open balcony she was lucky to have. Unlocking the glass door with a _click_, she slid it open soundlessly and took a step outside, bare feet meeting cold concrete.

The night was clear and the air was crisp. Aqua leaned against the railing as she stared up at the waning moon. If this were any other night, maybe a normal night, she might've found it perfect, but… This was just like the night when she fought Xemnas.

A cricket chirped from the nearby thicket and Aqua felt a deep… sadness. Taking out the silver charm, Aqua rolled it around within the palm of her hand as the chain followed the weight of the gem like a metallic snake. She remembered a voice smooth like velvet telling her that a heart like hers was a thousand times more valuable than any jewel.

"I wonder where you go, where you hide to during peaceful nights like these," she asked softly, clutching the keychain to her chest. She made a note to herself to make a bracelet out of it instead; it would probably be handier.

A mysterious breeze sifted through her hair as two orbs of blue light found their place by her side.

"_Miss?"_

Aqua pocketed the charm and held out a hand, allowing her two familiars to nestle within her palm. "Good evening you two. How was the trip?"

"_It was terrible,"_ Shio answered, _"We were both deathly worried. Is that possible? I'm not sure, but it was bad!"_

Nami nodded, but as a goldfish, her head only bobbed as her body pivoted. _"I reached the Order successfully but…" _she wiggled her fan tail in displeasure, "_... the bosses were not pleased, Aqua. Master Eraqus doesn't think a lesser demon could get the better of you—he may suspect, but he did not say anything."_

The young woman rubbed her brow. She had hoped this could've gone smoother, but then again, it could've been worse.

"_They've decided to send the safeguards, Braig and Marluxia."_

Aqua almost dropped her familiars in shock. Her eyes widened considerably, but they soon narrowed in anger.

"And they didn't bother asking me for my opinion?" She demanded, voice shaking dangerously.

Both Shio and Nami shrunk back, but it was Shio who had the courage to reply. _"It was an emergency—you were too weak for a summoning."_

Aqua threw up her arms in a rare outburst, sending the two fish flying, but being unearthly spirits helped them right themselves without falling over the edge. "I would've gone anyway, especially if I knew they… they doubted—" She shook her head, too incensed to go on.

"_T-They don't doubt you…"_ Nami offered, bubble eyes downturned in concern.

Aqua thought otherwise. She wasn't one to judge others, but she harbored a strong disdain for the one-eyed man, Braig. She didn't know Marly very well, but Braig… Braig was a real piece of work. Ever since she was brought to the Order as a child, she felt a certain type of aversion for him. He had a murky heart cloaked in abandon and cruelty—training under him only proved her right over time. She didn't want to think about the "lessons" that involved her dodging bullets. Literally.

"_Miss?"_

Aqua sighed again and opened her hands. The two fish appeared to be relieved at being accepted again and Aqua couldn't help but smile faintly when they settled back down.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to get so angry."

"_It's okay, Miss,"_ Shio replied, _"We understand why."_

"_We know it's unfair," _Nami added, _"We know how you feel—to be a Master yet be neglected."_

Aqua felt slightly guilty when she quietly agreed with them. It wasn't like she was a Master for a very long time and even she doubted her own skills, but being passed over like this made her feel… essentially betrayed. She wanted to show them that she could be strong—hadn't she already proved herself to the Order? Why were they questioning her capabilities now? Xemnas was a mistake—she had let her guard down, but she knew Braig and Marly would do little to remedy things.

She was growing tired—tired of the Order's antics. This definitely wasn't the first time they withheld information from her and she knew it wouldn't be the last.

"What am I fighting for…?" _Why am I fighting? Is it for revenge? That sounds so… wrong._

Shio and Nami blinked, looked at each other, and then back again at her. _"Miss…?"_

Aqua looked down on them, eyes downcast and gray. "I know I need to protect this city, this world from darkness, but what is it that I don't know? What's to become of me and the keyblade? What do I want and what else do I have outside of this life…?"

"… _You have family, Miss,"_ Shio answered, _"and now you have friends too."_

"_What you do with your life is up to you, and the keyblade is yours. You're strong Miss, and no one can control you. Besides, didn't that boy promise that you are not alone?"_

"Terra? You're right… he did say that to me and he looked so sincere… like it was true." She suspired. "I can't believe I almost forgot."

Shio nudged Nami. _"The other boy asked the missus for a date too, and she said yes!"_ The glowing fish almost squealed. _"Missus in a dress, I can't wait!"_

Aqua flushed a deep pink as the two familiars beamed up at her. "Y-yes, that's right. I just thought it would be nice to… you know…"

"_To be a teenager. We know, Miss," _Nami finished.

Aqua nodded. They were right, Terra was right.

She didn't know everything and there were still some questions that needed answers, but for now… For now, protecting her friends would be enough for her.

-x-X-x-

It was… It was getting harder and harder to breathe.

Terra ripped off his helmet, taking in air by the mouthfuls. His head was spinning and the sudden intake of air only seemed to make it worse. He staggered and almost tripped over the curb, using the window of a nearby store front for support.

He had barely made it to his apartment when a blinding pain shot through his head, rattling his entire body. He pressed a hand to his clammy forehead in a vain attempt to stem the pain. His head throbbed and his eyes burned and oh god it hurt so much.

_Why… why is this happening?_

It felt as if iron chains were crushing his lungs and heart, making it absolutely impossible for him to breathe. He opened his eyes just a sliver to gaze at his agonized reflection in the glass. Sweat glistened on his skin and a thin line of blood ran from his mouth from where he bit through the lip…

His last thought, his last moment of lucidity traveled back to the young woman with the blue hair. _A-Aqua, I_...

He wanted it to end—he just wanted release.

Nails broke as they dug into glass, eyes rolled back, and…

And release came. The body that convulsed now relaxed as it straightened. Bloody fingertips found their way to an open mouth and an eager tongue. He felt considerably… better. Wonderful. Liberating even.

A deep chuckle escaped his lips as he ran a hand through his hair, flipping the excess over his shoulders. The eyes that opened and leered at the gleaming moon were no longer a midnight blue, but a cold amber.

The vessel known as Terra smiled as he breathed in the cold air, shuddering with pleasure as he found that chains no longer restricted him.

"That was a messier awakening than usual," he remarked thoughtfully, patting down his chest with the flat of his hand. "How curious."

Without warning, a hum filled the air as Xemnas struck at an invisible creature hiding in the shadows. An ear-splitting whine broke the air and he knew he hit his mark.

Kneeling to investigate, Xemnas observed with impassive curiosity a black dog rolled over on its back, neck split open. It's red eyes fixed upon the other with fear and hatred, sputtering helplessly as its inky paws twitched.

Face set, Xemnas delivered the final blow with a mere twitch of his wrist. The carcass dissolved in thick black smoke and he wiped up the resulting residue, rubbing it between his fingers. It was similar to blood, but black in color. Within seconds, that too vanished, leaving nothing behind.

"…How crude."

_Aqua…_

Xemnas frowned and grasped his head. Why was he thinking of that woman now? She was still out of commission—he made sure of that.

"… _You're not alone," he told her._

_Arms wrapped around his neck as glassy blue eyes filled with gratitude looked up at him. He couldn't help but smile, feeling undeniable warmth spreading throughout his chest. He had never seen her so happy, and it was contagious._

Grinding his teeth, Xemnas returned to the glass front of the store, opening his jacket and then his shirt. He stretched the clothing out of the way as he studied the large white scar planted in the center of his chest. The heart of the old injury was the shape of a true star with many pale branches stretching from the middle—it was as if a bolt of lightning struck him in that very spot.

It throbbed and Xemnas dug his fingers into it. For seven years, he had to live with the thing when no spell would rid him of it. Sometimes it bothered him, sometimes it didn't, but it would _always _remind him of her, the one who gave it to him.

And no doubt he was… _drawn _to the young woman since the beginning, but she was still an obstacle or valuable weapon he would take care of one way or another.

Xemnas turned away from the reflection and walked off, disturbed and distracted by these disgustingly human thoughts. Opening up a portal, he vanished into the darkness and a lone figure perched on the corner of the roof went unnoticed. A sharp grin and single eye lit the night and Braig cocked the gun hanging from one hand idly as he considered the scene he just witnessed.

"Well, this day can't get any better."


	13. A Seed of Dissonance

A hundred hearts later and the emptiness remained.

Xemnas shut his eyes and allowed his head to fall back as he mused over the hollow feeling in his very core. His gut remained a bottomless pit that persistently raked at him for fulfillment. Neither hearts nor souls could satisfy him and each only left him hungrier and hungrier.

He craved, no, he _needed_ something more—less the door to what lies beyond would evade him for another number of untold years.

His thoughts unwisely strayed, but he was too close to sleep to fight or care. The ache in his limbs told him his time was almost up, so he allowed the dreams and pointless reveries to come.

A pure, childish smile greeted him and something strange wormed its way into his heart—it was indescribable but Xemnas could liken it to some sort of warmth. He always found human sentiments to be repulsive, but this feeling was beyond that. It was… somewhat pleasant to him and the torturous hunger of his soul seemed slightly more bearable in its presence, like a beast groveling at the feet of its tamer.

The owner of that smile matured and those lips were now only a subtle curve. Learned sorrow weighed down those pools—blue pools—but the smile she wore remained sincere. Only… he wasn't foolish enough to think something like that was aimed, or made for, at him.

Like he promised, he had taken everything from her—he had taught her true suffering. And yet he had given everything to her at the same time. It was only a matter of time before she realized that and Xemnas would be here, waiting for her like he always had.

-x-X-x-

** XIII: **A Seed of Dissonance

-x-X-x-

Someone called his name and Terra stirred but didn't wake, unwilling to face the dull pain that was festering in the back of his head.

His name came again, louder and clearer. He groaned softly as he wondered how many army-grade tanks rolled over his brain this time.

"Terra! I said, rise and shine!" Repeated the voice that was much too cheery for this time of day.

"Zack," the brunet growled, face still buried in a nearby pillow, "How the hell did you get into my apartment?"

He felt his mattress dip and mused with lifeless amusement that his best friend was sharing a bed with him… Gods, what did he have last night?

"I found your spare under the welcome mat," Zack replied, totally unconcerned. "Serves you right—we told you to pick a better spot dude."

"Remind me to kill you later."

A chuckle. "Knew you'd say that! So I made you coffee but I drank half. Hope you don't mind."

Terra groaned again, pointing out to himself that there was zero chance the other was going to let him sleep in. On top of that, there was school today, surprise surprise. Rubbing his eyes, he slowly sat up, aware that he probably looked like death by the looks of Zack's expression.

"Geeze, long night huh?"

"You could say that," he answered gruffly, fruitlessly combing out the knots in his hair. "I feel terrible."

"You look terrible," Zack added unhelpfully as he got up. "Whelp-! That's nothing a cup of java can't solve."

Terra blinked for a moment before chucking a pillow at him, but Zack was already half-way through the door, laughing and unsympathetic.

Grumbling, Terra forced himself to do the next hardest thing—toss off his covers and stand up. It wasn't like he had a hangover—he _didn't _have a hangover! Although it certainly felt like he did—not that he's ever had the experience of course. Rolling his arms as a series of cracks and pops ran up his spine, he wondered how much time it was gonna take for the weekend to finally come.

He reached up in a stretch but stopped when Zack returned to briefly stick his head from the crack of his bedroom door.

"Oh, it's six if you haven't noticed. Hurry up and clean yourself up, we're visiting Aqua."

-x-X-x-

"And she's not here," Zack said blankly.

The six of them—him, Zack, Tifa, Ven, Axel, and Roxas—all stood together, facing each other in a misshapen circle as they considered the situation.

Frankly, Terra was not considering it very well.

"She should be here-!" he said, almost pulling his hair. "How could they let her out?"

"Calm down, I'm sure she's fine…" Tifa said gently, although her brow was creased with worry. "But I'm wondering the same thing."

Out of the group, Axel appeared the least concerned. Studying his nails, he added, "Well I'm sure she's fine too if she made it all the way to her place and then school."

"You didn't see her when she first came in," Terra rejected coldly, remembering all too well what happened last night. "You have no idea how bad of a shape she's in."

As Zack and Tifa stepped between them, Roxas turned to Ven, obviously nervous about the older students. "I don't know Ven… I was stuck here for almost a week and all I did was crack a few things and hit my head."

Terra's expression suddenly softened when he noticed Ven chewing mindlessly on his lip. Backing down, he looked away from Axel and the others, rubbing his own head in abashment.

"She can hold her own you know," Axel told him as Ven only nodded sheepishly.

Terra sighed. "I know she can, but holding your own and taking care of yourself are two different things."

"I don't know about you guys," Zack cut in before anyone else could say anything, "But it's not like we can telepathically will Aqua back to her hospital room. Staff says she checked out and went to school. We go to school and see her, now is that so hard to figure out?"

Tifa grinned as both she and Terra punched him on the arm, glad to alleviate a little of the tension. "Always the thinker, now aren't you?" She turned to the rest. "Sorry you guys came for nothing, but Zack's right."

Axel only shook his head, ruffling the hair of the two blonds that stood beside him. "No problem, I was just driving the kiddies. Anyways, I'll see you guys later."

Terra nodded and as the three of them left, he caught the last bits of Ven's lingering glance towards him. Frowning, he opened his mouth to call for him, to remind him that everything was gonna turn out fine, but Tifa tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned around, Zack was already gone.

"I made him leave," she explained before pointing out, "Something's bothering you."

"Is it that obvious?" he asked a bit sarcastically. To be honest, he could probably come up with a five-foot laundry list if he wanted. Last night, he was glad that Axel dropped the attitude after questioning him—why? Even now, he didn't know. Facing the redhead here only unsettled him. As far as he could tell, it was like the incident never happened, but it couldn't of been a dream…

Tifa closed her eyes and he suddenly felt guilty. "No—I meant, something else besides this. I meant Zack."

"What about Zack?" He replied dumbly, realizing that he was absolutely awful at making apologies.

Tifa reopened her eyes, impatient. "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about. You're angry at either yourself, Zack, or maybe even all of the above because he beat you to her."

Terra looked away, having a terrible poker face. He had two options: accept it and look stupid, or deny it and hope for the best. Deep down, he wondered if he even had a chance of getting by her. After all, this was Tifa of all people.

"She's not some sort of prize, Tifa," he said, "Besides, I think something like this is the least of her worries."

His friend only rubbed her temples when he expected her to fire back. "Of course not—that's not what I'm saying, Terra, so don't try and change the topic. She's my friend too if you've forgotten. If you don't want to stop beating around the bush and face yourself like a man, then I won't make you, but maybe-potentially you could listen to me for once. Zack and Aqua have one date together, but you're missing the picture. We're all friends," she insisted when Terra looked unconvinced. "And you're both my best friends—I want this to work out for all of us and your brooding isn't cutting it for me. Maybe you can fool Zack, but not me and you know better."

"Sorry," he said quietly.

She shook her head, waving a hand. "I just want you to lighten up. You know Zack just as well as I do. He's a lady's man and you're… you, but so what?"

"You know," Terra insisted, "Me listening to your pep talk, if this is your idea of a pep talk, doesn't mean anything."

"Course not," Tifa replied, smiling crookedly. "Since we all know how good you are at hiding stuff. I guess you're good, but not good enough for us who've known you all your life here. Anyways I'll get to the point—you guys are on the same ground so don't let this bother you anymore. If you need another hint, Aqua probably doesn't have her car with her at the moment."

Terra nodded slowly, not quite catching on. "Well she has me. So?"

"And Ven has track practice afterschool. Aqua doesn't have enough time to wait around for him, and everyone loves free food, so…"

He raised an eyebrow.

Tifa rolled her eyes and lightly slapped him on the arm. "Invite her over for dinner, silly and even out the playing field while you're at it."

Terra pressed a thumb to his bottom lip as he thought this over. Why was she making this sound like some sort of game—well, it was a legitimate idea, a simple one too no matter how he put it.

Then he mentally slapped himself much harder than Tifa did. There was no way he was actually considering this! He didn't know what he wanted and he didn't know where he hoped to go with this. Was this all just a part of some stupid competitive streak he had with Zack? It had to be, because the other explanation was impossible… Or rather, he refused to even consider it.

Then why… Why was Tifa's suggestion so tempting? No, scratch that, why was Tifa even suggesting this in the first place?

Giggling like she read his mind, she explained, "I'm not pitting my two friends in some contest if that's what you're thinking. I know how Zack is, I know what you want, and I know you're denying it so shut up."

"I didn't say anything," he protested.

"It's written all over your face—" she winked and he flushed, "—I promise I won't tell anyone."

Terra sputtered. "Tell anyone _what?_"

"This, duh…"

He frowned, reminding himself that Tifa was a girl and girls talked no matter what… well, as far as his experiences went. He just wanted to get this conversation done and over with. He could tell himself that Tifa had no idea what she was talking about and forget this ever happened within the next hour. But then again, if she was going to play ambiguous with him, he supposed he could return the favor.

"Not even Zack?"

She shrugged, unconcerned. "Zack will figure it out, if he hasn't already, especially with your track record." Her brown eyes flitted to the lobby's clock before returning back to him. "I think that's enough of that. We shouldn't dilly-dally, we're already late for school." With that, she turned away briskly and Terra took that as a rather impromptu sign that she was done with him.

_Well that was fast, I guess._

Terra only stared after her retreating back and quite suddenly, he remembered something.

"Tifa, wait."

His childhood friend stopped, shoulders slumping in exasperation. She turned around, lifting an eyebrow expectantly. "Can you tell me later?"

Terra ignored that, but he quietly apologized to her before saying, "You know it's been several weeks now."

Expectancy turned to confusion before she stiffened when she realized who he was talking about. Looking away from him, she rubbed the sides of her arms wearily. "Damn it, Terra…" She said quietly. "I know."

Terra stepped closer. "No answer from him then? Even after all this time…?"

Tifa shook her head. "No, I drive by his house everyday and… and it's always empty. All my calls go straight to voicemail and all his post is redirected. It's like… he just disappeared for good this time."

Terra closed his eyes, almost regretting bringing this up; but then… he knew this was inevitable. He knew Tifa just as well as she knew him and he knew that she would never come out and speak to them about this on her own. As much as he hated to do it, she needed some prodding. "Don't say that."

"Cloud doesn't want to be found. I've done everything—what else am I supposed to say?"

He silently wished that Zack was here since he would know how to answer that, and he would know all the right things to talk about. "I… I don't know, but it's not like you to give up," he answered.

Tifa grit her teeth, but she turned back around before replying, "I haven't. I'll figure out what's wrong with him and what's wrong with this city." She began to walk away again, and he let her leave without saying another word.

Sighing heavily, the brunet ran weathered fingers through his hair as he watched Tifa's car back out and leave the parking lot. "Well that did a whole lot of good," he muttered, shaking his head. "_Leave it to her to turn me down."_

Pulling his blackened leather gloves back on, the troubled young man finally left that dreadful hospital, alone and heavy-hearted.

-x-X-x-

Aqua adjusted the strap of her bag as she took in the front of the school, breathing in the fresh morning air she missed so deeply. She smiled to herself as she realized how much she missed going to class with the others, even though she knew that beyond those gates awaited mountains of work and questions alike.

She took a step forward and winced. Patting down the jeans she was wearing today, she glanced with a mixture of worry and annoyance at the wounds hidden beneath the fabric. Once she got the chance, she wasted no time in healing her most severe injuries. However, her magic reserves were still low and healing her many fractures—only the ones she was aware of—was enough to exhaust her. Cuts and bruises, while hidden beneath layers of makeup, remained while she walked with a limp in her right leg.

Needless to say, she was not totally unharmed, but in a much better state than four days ago.

"Aqua!"

Aqua blinked and turn around towards the direction of the familiar voice. "Terra?"

Said friend was across the street and she watched as the brunet cleared the distance within a few seconds, dodging a semi in the process. "You're here," he said, slightly breathless.

Aqua nodded. "I am finally. I thought it would be for the best since I'm already behind on everything…"

Terra's expression hardened, but only in a way that was hardly noticeable. "Of course you'd be worried about that when you were in critical condition only a few days ago…" He reached up and gently pushed her bangs to the side, revealing a white bandage. Anger filled those cobalt depths and Aqua gazed up at him in worry, but when he spoke, his voice was just as level as ever. "The swelling's gone down. How does your head feel?"

"That's an exaggeration, but I'm alright," she shrugged. "If I don't touch it… How does _your_ head feel, Terra?"

Terra frowned at that before looking elsewhere, nervously pursing his lips. "I… Well it could always be better, but it's nothing compared to what you've gone through and…" He trailed off, awkwardly falling silent.

"Here, let me…" Aqua only smiled slightly in amusement as she reached up without thinking, threading her fingers beneath the other's brown hair and lightly touching the side of his head with as much force as a drifting feather. Terra stiffened beneath her touch as his widened eyes found their way back to her.

Concentrating, she weaved a tiny healing spell. The tips of her fingers grew warm, emanating a soft green light hidden by Terra's thick layers. Terra reached up, half in shock and half in confusion, to lightly brush her hand that mysteriously soothed his pain. Aqua smiled again, this time at him, but her expression faltered when her thread hit a short. A bigger than anticipated chunk of energy was sucked from her and the thread snapped. Her vision swam and she stumbled forward, legs weak.

Terra caught her effortlessly, voice frantic. "Aqua? Aqua! What's wrong?"

Aqua tried to lift her head. _Maybe that wasn't the smartest thing I've done…_

"I'm fine," she replied, trying to keep the exhaustion out of her voice. Gripping the other's arms which remained surprisingly steady, she tried to straighten herself, but stumbled again. "I-I just got dizzy, that's it…"

Keeping a hand on her waist and the other around her wrist, Terra tried his best to support her. "You really shouldn't of come."

"I'll be fine…" She repeated as the feeling returned to her legs. "I think… I think I can stand now."

Terra reluctantly let go of her, hands still hovering inches away just in case she fell again. "Ven would have a fit if he saw you now."

She chuckled wearily, pushing the hair out of her face as she straightened herself with difficulty. "I'm probably the last thing he wants to see—"

"Aqua!" The two of them both turned at the same time to see a familiar redhead bouncing towards them.

"Oh, Kairi," Aqua greeted. The young girl slowed to a stop after hopping down each step before the gates, skirt fluttering.

"Welcome back, Aqua," Kairi beamed, smiling up at Terra, "Heya Terra! I saw what you did there by the way."

"H-huh?" He stammered, cheeks flushing to a deep pink. Aqua cocked an eyebrow as she looked between her two friends. "It wasn't like that!"

"Wasn't like what?" She inquired, oblivious.

Kairi only shook her head before pushing back red bangs behind her ear. "Oh, you know. Well, what are you two doing out here? I bet everyone's dying to finally see you."

"I was just helping her get to the gates," Terra said tersely, cheeks still colored. "Aqua's not feeling well."

The blunette pouted at that. "Says the one who looks like he's getting a fever." Terra only blushed deeper as he looked away from them both. Aqua swore he heard him mutter _"Girls"_ under his breath. What was up with that?

"Oh…" Kairi said, appearing worried. "I heard it was really bad—rumors have been flying around but Selph', Olette, and I have been telling everyone to shut up. I guess people can't mind their own business. We'll make sure no one gives you a hard time especially if you're still hurt…"

"It's okay," Aqua replied, expression warm, "Thanks for everything. I got the flowers—they made things much easier to deal with but I'm alright now."

Kairi bit her lip as if she were trying to decide whether to believe her or not. Aqua put on her most convincing face.

"Okay…" She gave in. "Well I'll see you in Art then—I'd stay longer but I have places to be. If something goes wrong, I'm sure Terra will be able to catch you." She winked, smiling playfully again. The two older students only balked as the younger ran off back where she came from.

"W-well then…" Terra said after a moment of silence.

"I wonder what that was about…" She mused, looking back up at him. "To bio then?"

"Sure, you can't be late on your first day back."

Aqua nodded and took a step before almost slapping herself. She completely forgot about her limp—the limp she couldn't heal because she couldn't pinpoint it's cause. She locked her knees in an attempt to hide her little stumble but Terra was already glancing down at her with obvious concern.

This was a great way to start her morning and prove her case.

"I guess you're not going to take my word for it no matter what I say," she murmured, looking down at her own two feet. Her face burned with shame as she tried to take another step without wobbling this time.

"Of course not, silly," he said, making her look up again. His demeanor softened as he held an open hand to her, smiling with that same sincerity of his. She blinked slowly, unwilling at first, but she eventually lowered one of her own hands into his waiting palm and he held her with such care that surprised even her.

"Thank you…" She told him quietly, face still tingling with embarrassment.

With his steady gait, he slowly lead her to the top. As much as she hated it, Aqua couldn't help but note how good of a crutch he was.

"I'm only…" he paused, "It's… it's nothing."

Aqua shook her head. "No—I meant, thank you for everything."

"Huh?" She could tell the other didn't really expect that as he rubbed his nose to hide his returning blush. She stifled a giggle at how honest he was and for another moment, it was just the two of them standing there, alone in each other's company. Terra avoided her gaze for the countless time but the young warrior caught a glimmer of consideration in those dark orbs.

"I… so um, you don't have a car on you, huh?" He finally asked out of the blue.

"Oh? Why, yes—I'm not allowed to drive on my own for now. How did you know?" She asked him, wondering why he was still refusing to look at her. What was it with everyone today?

"Just a feeling I got," he said hastily, studying a cloud floating overhead with the utmost fascination.

Aqua frowned. "Terra?"

"Hey let's hurry—we've been standing out here for a while," he said, walking forward but tugging on her sleeve to guide her as well.

"E-eh—" She honestly wanted to know what was going through his mind, but when she noticed how innocently sheepish his face was, she could only smile to herself. It was so strange and uncouth of the Terra she'd grown to know and appreciate that she couldn't help but laugh.

"And what do _you_ find so funny?" He demanded.

She looked up at him, eyes twinkling in pure amusement as she considered humoring him, but she eventually shook her head and giggled again. Terra probably considered that payback as he rolled his eyes and let it go. When he turned around again, Aqua looked back over her shoulder to gaze up at the open morning sky as she let the other pull her along.

Even if she didn't know what was to become of her, it was comforting to know that things like this were here to stay unchanged in their innocence, and she was undeniably alright with that.

-x-X-x-

Maybe she overestimated herself for once.

"Oh yum, shark bile on my lab book…" Zack said, inappropriately cheerful as he held up said notebook by the corner of its spine. A yellowish liquid dripped slowly from the corner.

Terra was trying not to laugh while Aqua on the other hand was absolutely mortified.

"I am _so _sorry, Zack!" She gasped for the countless time, hands still hovering over her mouth.

The other quickly set down his book when he realized it wasn't helping things. "Oh no, it's totally okay! I was going to fail this class anyways."

"I don't think that makes it better," Terra reckoned, brushing what remained of their beaker into the nearby trashcan. He stopped when he realized she was cringing with every chink the glass made.

"Eh well hey, don't cry over spilled milk—er—vomit juice," Zack tried to console her, "I'll just snag another one from Even. I don't mind at all." He picked up the soaked rag that smelled of rotten fish and other indescribable things, waving it in Terra's direction. "Here rub it on your face—I heard it's good for the complexion."

"Go eat yourself," Terra replied.

Aqua only sighed, hunching her shoulders and burying her nose into her own book. She didn't catch the rather unpleasant look Terra shot Zack.

What was going on with her? She's dealt with worse things. Returning to school was supposed to be the least of her problems and she was so confident she'd be able to readjust after almost… dying. Only when she sat herself in front of an actual text book did she realize how mentally out of it she was.

And physically out of it, apparently.

"What, the mile too much for you, Blue?"

"Huh?" She stopped her idling to look up from her place on one of the benches along the school's football field. A girl who looked to be fourteen, maybe even fifteen, stood propped right in front of her, supported by two crutches. A single leg encased in a fresh-looking cast stuck out, inches from where her own two feet were resting.

The girl huffed as she rested both hands on her hips. "Well why else would you be sitting this one out?"

"Oh, right…" She unconsciously traced her own thigh, feeling the bandages there. "I sort of… hurt my leg." Well, it could be worse. She could be in crutches like her. Aqua inwardly cringed at the thought—imagine fighting in something like that!

"Bet you hurt a whole bunch of things," the other muttered, taking a seat right beside her without so much as a glance.

"… So what about you?" Aqua asked after a short moment of silence between them, shifting one leg over the other.

"Snapped my leg—the ground couldn't handle a piece of this." She gestured towards herself.

The corner of her mouth twitched as she held back small giggle. "Trampoline?"

"Oh, someone's psychic!"

She let herself laugh at that as she shook her head. "No, but the same exact thing happened to my brother." As she finished her sentence, she realized that this person was someone familiar. They'd met on her first day here, hadn't they…? What was her name again? She felt it'd be rude to ask.

"Well I guess that sucked," the younger girl replied, lounging back and propping her cast on the nearby ball rack. "Because _this_ sucks. Doc' thinks this deadweight can contain the awesome Yuffie for two months."

Ah, that's right—they met in the weight room.

"So what's your story, Blue?"

Aqua tilted her head, frowning slightly. "Why're you calling me that?"

Yuffie rolled her eyes impatiently. "It's not like I can call you anything based on your _outstanding_ personality_._ Now answer the question."

"_Aqua works," _she thought to herself, noting with vague amusement that this girl had a pretty big attitude for someone so small.

"I don't remember," she answered with those recycled words. "I hit my head too."

"Oh."

Was that disappointment? She wasn't actually expecting a riveting story from her, was she?

Neither said anything after that and Aqua looked away from her to watch the boys close in on their last round on the track. Zack and Terra waved and she sheepishly returned the gesture, feeling rather mothballed.

But then again, silence wasn't so bad—Aqua was used to it and she was ready to settle with this state of quietness that fell upon them, until—

"Hey Blue, you believe in demons?"

"Demons?" She asked, her voice piquing with curiosity but otherwise showing no sign that she almost choked on the word. "What do you mean?"

Yuffie swung her good leg. "You know, monsters! Or maybe those things that bother us after we do something we wanna take back. Depends on who you're asking I guess."

"I…" Aqua looked down at her hands, eyes fixing on the silver droplet chained around her wrist. She closed a hand over it. "I never really thought about it."

"Oh," she said.

Silence fell again.

"…What about the end of the world?"

Aqua smiled uneasily at that. Was she trying to make conversation? "Well, no. How are we supposed to live if we're constantly thinking about that? I guess what I believe doesn't really matter but I _hope_ there's not an end to the world."

"Fair enough," Yuffie nodded. "My old man thinks the day's coming. I think it's stupid but then again, I can't shut my eyes and say there's nothing funny going on with this city."

Aqua felt her skin prickle as she shifted in her discomfort. "Funny?" She watched as the younger returned her gaze, resting an elbow on the arm rest and leaning to the side to get a better view of her.

"Yeah, Blue. No one gets mugged in Radiant Garden, are you kidding me? No one gets killed either to be honest, but look what's happening now. Police can't solve it, mayor doesn't know what to do, whole council is sitting around with their thumbs up their—"

Aqua interrupted her. "Killed? I thought they were just missing."

Yuffie laughed. "Well I guess you wouldn't know better since you're new, but I do. That's what everyone says because no one wants to admit that Radiant Garden isn't the safe little play place we all love." She sighed, brown orbs shadowed behind darker bangs. "No one wants to believe that monsters are real, or that the person they're waiting for is dead."

Aqua closed her eyes at that and lowered her head, feeling the guilt gnaw a hole in her chest. "I'm sorry…" She told her quietly. "Are you… waiting for someone?"

"Not just me, other people too," Yuffie huffed. "We're all waiting for him. He's stupid for leaving and I bet his hair still looks ugly after all these months, but even so… So what if Pops says we're closer to good ol' hellfire? You're proof that we're not totally doomed." She crossed her arms. "If you made it back, then so will he—I'm sure of it, although I know Tifa is gonna give him hell."

"I, wait—" Aqua pointed at herself. She wasn't sure where to start; the fact that this girl thinks she has something to do with whatever's going on (when she does) or the fact that Tifa is missing someone. "I know Tifa—she never told me…" She trailed off uncertainly, holding a loose fist to her chest.

"That's Boobs for you, always carrying other people's crap around when she can barely carry her own weight. Not that she lets anyone help or anything. It's pretty one-sided."

"I didn't realize…. that's horrible," she shook her head, pressing the flat of her palm to her temples. "And… and you think I went through the same thing as all those people?"

Yuffie sniffed. "Well, if you want me to be honest… I smell it. Monsters exist, Blue. Call me crazy but I have this wee little feeling that you know more than you're letting on." She winked as Aqua bit her lip. "But it's okay, I think I get it. Be careful though—I wouldn't want to see your guts spread like nutella on a sidewalk one day."

"W-why would you say that?" Aqua stammered. She subconsciously tugged at the hem of her own shirt, wondering if anyone could honestly pick up the scent of a demon. She herself could sense darkness, but that was something entirely different. Then again, chances were this girl was just pulling her leg for laughs—she seemed like the type.

"My Yuffie senses are telling me you're a little special," she replied, surprisingly nonchalant as if she were talking about her pet dog. "Well, not as special as me of course, but good enough. Monsters always go for the good ones—why bother with some old ordinary heart when there are like seven billion others in the world?" She held her hands up and arched her fingers like claws. "They'll eat your heart out if you don't watch it, Blue. My old country even has a word for that."

Aqua swallowed, wondering how they went from broken legs to_ this._ "And what would that be?"

Yuffie clapped her hands together. "Glad you asked. It's _Ikigimo_ and you better hope it's not on your menu tonight."

Needless to say, Aqua was growing evermore tired with the Heartless issue. She was supposed to be thinking about things like chordate anatomy and derivatives, not worrying about tonight's clean up job. There was a time and place for everything—school and demon hunting weren't supposed to mix.

"Have you found yourself a dress yet?"

Aqua looked up from her linoleum block. "What for?"

Kairi gawked. "For the dance you silly! Don't tell me you forgot—everyone else can't stop talking about it."

"Oh no, of course not," she replied. "I haven't really gotten around to it…"

Kairi drooped, backing down at that. She sighed and held her carving blade closer to herself. "Oh, that's understandable…"

Aqua frowned. She didn't mean for her to feel bad about it… "I'm glad you reminded me—I probably would've forgotten for real anyway. That being said…" She looked down at herself. "What do you think would look nice?" She asked, flushing a little. This was so strange for her to talk about this.

The other perked like a freshly-watered flower. "I'm flattered you're asking me that, Aqua!" She pursed her lips together thoughtfully, eyes narrowed. "Blue?"

She laughed. "I feel that's a bit cliché."

Kairi nodded, pressing a knuckle to her bottom lip as she leaned back to study her. Aqua returned to carving as she began to list off colors.

"White? Purple? Or how about black? If you want to play it safe."

"Black sounds nice," she remarked thoughtfully.

"Well it might be too plain," Kairi shrugged, brushing pieces of linoleum and cork off their table. "I think you can do better than that. How about green?"

"If you want me to look like a mermaid." Aqua smiled without looking at her. Wow, her printing block was turning out awful.

Her friend groaned, throwing down her knife. "I feel like this shouldn't be this hard! Are you going with someone? What's he wearing?"

She set down her own knife as well and flipped her block over so she wouldn't have to keep staring at it. "Zack asked me, but I don't know what he's w—"

"Zack?" Kairi asked, eyes wide with excitement and disbelief. A couple students looked over at them. "Zack Fair? Well I guess we only know one, but _wow._ I'm a bit surprised." Her voice fell to something hardly above a whisper as she leaned in over the table. "Do you… you know, like him?"

"Like… him?" Aqua repeated, blinking obliviously as Kairi fixed her unrelenting gaze on her. "We're going as friends… aren't we?"

"You're really funny sometimes, Aqua," she smirked.

Aqua only flipped back over her linoleum block. Maybe it was still possible to salvage this after all.

-x-X-x-

"How are you holding up?" Terra asked her, idly pushing his pencil up and down the desk. Ansem eyed him impatiently from where he sat grading papers, but neither student paid any attention to him.

Aqua tried to stifle a yawn and Terra couldn't help but grimace a little. Sometimes it was painful watching her struggle to follow every word of the lecture when he himself already found it close to impossible to stay awake in this class. He wondered when was the last time she got a good night's sleep, well, without being in a coma and what not.

"'M fine. It's just hard to stay awake in here, that's all."

"_You can say that again," _Terra thought.

"Do you have any plans after school?" He asked her, feeling like a jerk. She was obviously sleepy and ready to fall flat on her face from exhaustion, why in the world would she waste her time with him?

Aqua shook her head. "Not at all," she managed to reply. "I normally don't. It's just mostly homework stuff."

Well, it looked like he'd have to finish what he just started. He'd been putting this off for over five hours now—Tifa wouldn't miss the chance to poke fun of him if she knew. "Then would you like—" No, he couldn't do this to her. "I… never mind." He bowed his head and began to write a stream of gibberish on his outline for religious diversity.

Aqua chuckled faintly and he looked up again, puzzled.

"You've been making that face a lot, Terra."

He scrunched up said face. "What are you talking about?"

The blunette shook her head again. "Nothing. What were you saying?"

He cast his gaze to the side. "It's nothing… you're probably busy."

"Well you're not being fair," she accused him jokingly. "Making assumptions and not telling me things."

"Likewise," Terra returned, but Aqua only smiled at him and he gave in. Sighing, he buried his face into a hand. "I… I was just wondering if you'd like to come over and stay for a bit maybe, since you don't have your car and all. We can pick Ven up later while we're at it."

"Oh!" She exclaimed. "I completely forgot that Ven has practice today. Well for your information kind sir, I'm not busy and I'd love to come over for a little while. What about your job though?"

"That's tomorrow; I'll be fine," he assured, feeling considerably happier that he finally got that done and over with. "I'll meet you afterschool then?"

Aqua opened her mouth to answer but their teacher interrupted her with a glare and irritated bark.

"Terra, have you finished your essay?"

"Er—no, sir…" He answered, dodging his head. He was barely half-way through his outline much less done with the whole thing. Was he supposed to be? This old man's expectations, he swore…

"Then I advise that you return to work and stop distracting the other students."

"Right. Sorry, sir."

Aqua ducked her head as well, smiling shamefully up at him. He grinned right back at her, silently insisting that it was perfectly okay. This stupid essay could hardly dampen his mood no matter how much of a pain it was proving to be.

-x-X-x-

"And this is my wonderful five-star flat. Classy, isn't it?" He chuckled, throwing open the door for her.

"_Erk—I probably should've done a morning clean up…" _He thought to himself, cringing at the pile of dishes he left in the sink from this morning and spilled coffee grounds he totally didn't notice until now. _"Note to self: really kill Zack."_

"It's cozy, is it really yours?" Aqua asked, running a hand along one of the chairs that went with the cheap dining table he picked up from the side of the road one day.

"Well technically no, I guess," he said, mussing through his hair. "Zack's family owns it. They do a whole lot for me, I just pay for utilities and do the occasional maintenance myself. I mean, I could pay for the whole rent, but they won't accept it."

Aqua set her bag on the ground. "I think that's nice of them. How long have you been living here?"

Terra counted off the years with his fingers. "One… two… three years, almost four. I've been here since I was fourteen."

Aqua stared at him in amazement and disbelief. She then looked about her, taking in everything from his frosted glass lamps to his second-hand television set and suede couches. "Fourteen, really? You've been working since then?"

Terra nodded, setting to work on the dirty dishes for the sake of busying his hands. She was making him sound cooler than he really was. "It was the year I could teach the littler ones on my own. Before that I just earned pocket money as an apprentice under Tifa's father." When he glanced back up at her, he found her brow furrowed with something akin to disapproval and weariness. "What's bothering you, Aqua?"

"That's… a really young age to support yourself, isn't it?"

Terra shrugged and returned to his scrubbing, glad that she wasn't worrying over anything that was actually worth worrying about. "It wasn't bad—I wouldn't of had it any other way. To be honest, I hated freeloading off of them."

"I suppose you would," she chuckled. "Do you mind if I sit down?"

"I—what? Do you even have to ask?" He placed the last of the bowls on the drying rack and left the silverware for later. He turned to Aqua, smiling lopsidedly as he wiped his hands in three swift motions. "What in the world am I going to do with you?"

"Just asking." Aqua happily seated herself on one of the sofas in front of the television. She sighed in relaxation, lounging back and closing her eyes. "This place really_ is_ cozy."

"Then I suppose I can make it cozier," he said, taking a bag of fresh coffee grounds from the cupboards. "Coffee?"

She opened her eyes. "In the afternoon? That seems so wrong…"

Honestly, what was he going to do with her? "Well no offense, but it looks like you need it."

She puffed up and threw one of the decorative pillows that sort of-kind of went with the couch at him. He didn't see it coming and ducked a second too late when it got him right in the face.

"Ow…" He rubbed his nose. "I think you might've broken my face."

"I can think of half a dozen things _you_ need, mister," she snapped, although the corner of her lips tugged upwards. "And I just meant that it feels like I'm cheating somehow."

"That's silly—" he tossed the throw pillow back at her and she caught it. "—but if that's the way you think, then fine, but sometimes it's best to bend the rules, right?"

She pouted, resting her chin on the edge of the sofa. "I guess I won't stop you from making some and… I'll drink it too. Thanks, Terra."

"That's the way," he beamed, turning his back on her to busy himself. He heard her rummage through her bag, pulling out papers and rolling through her probably large collection of pens. Terra shook his head to himself, bangs swaying slightly as he measured out the coffee. "Can't keep your nose out of a book, can you?"

"It's for calculus," she hummed.

"I rest my case. You think I'm something special for supporting myself and I'm just here wondering how you can balance classes like that with whatever crazy stuff you do for a liv—" He stopped, and so did his hands. He slowly lowered the stack of coffee filters he held as he gazed forward numbly.

That feeling that constantly nagged at him… Ven's perpetual anxiety and his worried glances from earlier… They all made sense now.

His first idea was to corner her and (gently) demand an explanation, but if he did that, then he'd have to admit Ven spilled half of her secret, wouldn't he? He didn't want the kid to suffer the storm that was Aqua's wrath, but they both undeniably cared for her—neither would be able to bear it if she hurt herself again. Ven would understand since this was for Aqua's sake.

"Ven talked to me about something while you were still out cold," he said, pausing for a moment as he tested how thin the ice he was walking on was. Aqua said nothing and he went on. "He told me you worked the graveyard shifts… that your job probably has something to do with what happened, or that's what he thinks at least."

Again, Aqua said nothing and he gulped. He placed the coffee filter and fumbled over the settings as his thoughts refused to multi-task. He sighed heavily and pressed his knuckles to the countertop, bowing his head.

"You shouldn't place yourself in so much danger like that," he told her without looking at her. "Think about the people who constantly worry about you."

"_Like me."_

He was met with only silence when he finished his last sentence.

"Don't be mad at Ven…" He continued. "He really cares about you, Aqua—you're his only family, isn't that right…?" He paused again and took in a deep breath. Why was he hesitating? Even after all these years of trying to be an honest, no, a decent person, he still struggled with opening up when it really mattered. Like now.

Maybe he was simply just a liar at heart.

Blinking once, he steeled his resolve. "I care about you too, I really do…" He turned to finally face her. "And I—Aqua?"

Aqua wasn't looking at him. No, she wasn't even sitting up.

Terra felt his heart lurch as he cleared the counter in one leap to rush to her side. "_Oh no." _

"I-I shouldn't of brought you here." He gently pushed her hair from her face as he felt her forehead. She was warm, but not too warm. A soft breath escaped her lips and her eyelids fluttered, but she didn't wake. Terra sighed in relief.

"_Don't scare me like that…"_

He quietly chuckled at his own reaction. He was being ridiculous. They both knew how exhausted she was, so why was he even surprised? He should be glad she didn't fall asleep on the way over here.

Her eyelids fluttered again and Terra bent down to eye-level, studying her. _"Are you dreaming already?"_

He knew for a fact how much of a hard-worker she was, but she never struck him as a self-guarded young woman. Only as he watched her rest did she realize how peaceful she looked sleeping like this and how reserved she actually appeared when awake. Her brow was perfectly smooth and her lips were slightly parted as her chest rose and fell with every whisper of a breath.

"You'll get a bad neck if you keep sleeping like this," he murmured. "But it's nice… knowing you can relax a little."

He took a moment just to stand there, to allow the ensuing peace to envelope them both, but something stirred within his core as a numbing sensation overtook him.

Wordlessly, he reached forward and gently pressed his palm to her jugular, fingers wrapping over her throat. Dark blue irises hazed over like a foggy night and a flicker of amber sparked in those depths like lamplight, but no one was awake to see it. He tilted his head as he felt the slow, but steady pulse beating against the flat of his hand while she slept, unaware and unprotected.

"I'm sorry," he said, words suddenly hollow and devoid of any warmth. His hand bent to the contour of her neck, stroking and feeling the soft and unblemished skin there. "But I sincerely do not know what to do with you…"

Her calm features trembled as her brow twitched into a weak frown. Terra felt a riveting jolt of realization and snatched his hand away from her, stepping back as cold horror filled him from the bottom up.

"_Shit—!"_

He squeezed the wrist of the offending hand as if he were trying to choke the life out of it. What in the world did he try to do? _Why_ did he say something like that?

As he searched his head for a reason, he tried to wipe his mind of that… that _want _to actually…

He flashed back at her and she remained fast asleep, as if nothing had disturbed her. He backed away even more, almost tripping over the coffee table in the process. Turning around, he snatched a notepad and pen from the counter, scribbling a barely legible note.

He had to leave. Ven wasn't supposed to be picked up for another hour, but he could make occasion.

-x-X-x-

She shifted, feeling her sides cushioned by soft pillows made of what seemed like suede…

Bemused, she opened her eyes with great difficulty, realizing that this was definitely not her bed. Nor her apartment, and she was covered by a fluffy fleece throw while the aroma of fresh coffee greeted her. Was it morning?

"_When… When did I fall asleep?"_

Rubbing her eyes, she stretched shamelessly as she tried to figure out where in the world—

Oh. Right.

"Terra?" She called out, hopping to her feet. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she looked about her, trying to find the brunet. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep on you…"

She frowned as she caught a whiff of something… off. "Where are you, anyway?" Something wasn't right… there was a tremor in the air, the footprint of a frightening presence, but it was nothing more than a shadow. When no one answered her, she figured she was alone.

"That must've been rude of me…" Aqua sighed as she made her way to the counter. The marble tops had been cleared, save for a single note that was pinned down by an empty coffee mug. "Well it looks like someone was in a rush…" she observed.

_Hey Aqua,_

_Sorry I couldn't tuck you in. Left for groceries since the food's gone but coffee is on the counter. Will pick Ven up afterwards. Zack's taking you guys home. I'll be back soon and bathroom is to the right of the bedroom if you need to use it._

_-Terra_

_P.S. Get some more sleep ok._

"At least I know he's okay," she sighed again, setting the note down. She went over and detached the pitcher of freshly-brewed coffee from the machine, pouring herself a cup into the empty mug. Going without the sugar and cream, she sipped it dark and leaned against the counter.

"Nice joint, but I thought you already had a place. Moving in?"

"Braig," she acknowledged, sipping the coffee again. "I thought I felt a breeze," she said, eyeing the open window.

"Hola chica," the one-eyed man saluted her crookedly. "It's been a while hasn't it? How's the little runt doing?"

It took a great deal of willpower not to send her former trainer out the door, or preferably, over the balcony ledge. She set the coffee mug down less she shatter it with her grip. "I don't remember anyone inviting you here. What's it you want?"

"Woah, little Jay!" He held up two hands. "Why the hostility? Relax—I'm just dropping by for a word."

Aqua rolled her eyes, wanting nothing more than to just _leave, _but she knew better than to turn her back on a person like him. "Right, well make it quick then."

Braig clapped his hands together. "First, I just want to say that you might, potentially be slipping there. Since when do you call it nap time at some dude's place?" He paused, leering toothily at her. "Anything, y'know, could've gone wrong."

"Creep," Aqua spat, taking a shot from the mug.

"I wasn't watching you sleep," he said. "Geeze. You just look like you had a long day, that's all. Want me to rub those knots out of your shoulder?"

"I stand by what I said. Now are you going to stop stalling or what?"

"Wee little master is getting angry!" He whistled. "And wee little master isn't too happy with the higher ups, is she?"

She's had enough of this. "And what makes you ask that?"

"Well nothing _you're _doing, I can tell you that," he said. "But if the Order was hiding stuff from me, I guess I'd be pretty darn peeved too."

Aqua stiffened but she didn't rise to take the bait. Rather, she let him go on instead.

"I mean, it's just not fair," his voice rose, emphasizing the last word. "For you to work your little tushy off for our goals, yet not know a thing. I think we all know the Order's not telling you everything—just making sure we're on the same page here."

Her lips were pursed.

"I guess you're still wondering what's in store for this city, or what that little toy of yours really is, or why it was _your_ parents who had to kick the bucket—"

Aqua felt something within her break, unleashing a wave of ice-cold fury that engulfed her insides.

"Get out." Her voice was hardly above a whisper.

"Huh, still licking that old wound? Understandable, really—"

"I said get _out_—!" The lights above them flickered as the air grew thick and heavy and Braig staggered under the pressure. He backed off, glaring at her with a mixture of awe and loathing.

"Your loss," he said. "I know we're not exactly the closest of buddies but this is for your sake. Maybe you should stop acting like an obedient little doll if you want all the answers. I mean, I know they're out there. Somewhere." With that, he turned and vanished as quickly as he appeared.

Aqua lifted her hand and with a slam, the window fell shut and locked itself. She buried her face within her palms and let out a shuddering breath.

He was right, that was still a sensitive spot for her… but that wasn't the only thing that set her off. Of course she despised him for showing up uninvited and bringing her late parents into this, but she hated him even more for watering the seed of doubt that had already sprouted within her.

There was no easy way out of this, and she knew it well.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: **Hello everyone, it's summer and you know what that means B) Yep, job and volunteer applications, but at least I'll have more free time than before. Thanks for reading and being awesome!_

_As for this chapter, I made a reference to Yuffie being Japanese due to her last name. "Ikigimo" is the liver extracted from a live animal (or human in the case of yokai) although a heart accomplishes the same thing in folklore. Said folklore claiming that eating the heart/liver of an extraordinary being makes you stronger :)_

_Next Chapter: Aqua gets to be a teenager, well, as much as her circumstances allow._


	14. A Dance in Thorns

Sparks lit up the square as she formed her faithful sword from her fist. The steel edge trembled in anticipation as Aqua raised the keyblade above her head.

The monster that faced her howled, its voice as low as the earth grinding against itself. It leapt over the severed corpse of its companion, open jaw eager to close around the young woman that was a quarter of its size, but she was too fast. Aqua threw herself backwards towards the ground and pointed her weapon straight up, ripping through the underbelly of the beast as it leapt over her.

Black ooze spilt over her face, her silk dress, everything, and she was left laying there, taking in the stagnant air through gasps.

-x-X-x-

**XIV: **A Dance in Thorns

-x-X-x-

_Two hours earlier…_

The one and only time she visited Terra's abode had already passed in the up and coming days, but as she sat on a lone stool in front of a mirror, her heart weighed heavy like the thick mascara on her lashes. A feathery, translucent tail fluttered in her face as Nami struggled to keep a hold on a lock of her hair while Shio sorted through a tin of bobby pins (quite the challenge considering that neither familiars had thumbs).

"Mmph… I have it," Shio sounded as she stuck in one pin, if a bit haphazardly. Nami nodded and both twirled about her head in synchronization as they stuck bits of hair here and there. The whole thing looked… a bit questionable, and if Aqua weren't so busy lost in her own thoughts, she would've voiced a concern or two. "We'll make you pretty!"

"Not that you already look pretty everyday," Nami hastily assured. The fish paused in mid twirl before straightening slowly. "…Miss?"

"Hm?" Aqua barely jerked. She lifted a hand to the updo the two fish put together. "Oh, it looks great. Thanks you guys." Well, strands of hair stuck out here and there, but with her layers, the style didn't look so bad half-messy. She couldn't complain.

Her familiars exchanged looks before zooming right into her face. Aqua blinked, leaning back a little. "What's wrong, Miss? You were looking forward to this day for forever. Is it the guy? Should we haunt him for you?"

Aqua shook her head. "No, it's not him. It's nothing."

The fish visibly pouted, swishing their tails behind themselves indignantly. "We're your familiars," Shio shook a disapproving fin. "Extensions of your soul, you can't hide stuff from us, Miss."

The young woman smiled humorlessly as she gazed downwards. Shio and Nami combated this by settling in her lap, staring up at her with bubble eyes.

"It's _that_ one…" Nami murmured in hushed tones, nudging her twin.

-x-X-x-

_Aqua frowned as her throat tightened with worry and guilt. Her thumb stroked the surface of her phone rapidly as she redialed Terra's number. _

_No answer. Again._

"_He could be busy," Aqua tried to reason with herself. "But how busy can you be when you're at the store? He's… probably driving. No, he's angry. I'd be angry too."_

_She was so stupid, so rude. Terra had wanted to spend time with her. For the first time, he invited her to what he called his home. She didn't know who else had the privilege, not that it mattered, because in the end Terra had been hoping to hang out. Why else would he bring up the idea of her visiting after school?_

_He took the initiative and Aqua repaid him by falling asleep on his couch. She buried a hand in her hair as she pressed her forehead to the cool countertops, groaning with pure embarrassment. She fights demons at night, but so what? She was still a high school student and she had spent the past year convincing herself and her master that she was up for the dual roles. Responsibility was responsibility, not something to split up when it became convenient. Part of it was about her parents, but she had been so sure that she could handle—no, she was losing her grip here. She wasn't going to let that old weasel get the better of her. She felt awful about everything and Braig having the nerve of dropping by did wonders for her spirits, but it was vital that she calm down and think this through._

"_Just wash some dishes… That's what Mom always told me to do, right?" She went over to the sink, rinsed her coffee mug and placed it upside down on the dish rack. There. Done. "Okay, great. That's a start."_

_She wasn't sure how much time had passed as she wandered around the small space of the living room like a disorientated child until she heard the front door crack open. Her heart trembled as her throat tightened up again, but before she could say anything—_

"_I was just coming to get you. Ven's at your car," Terra said without even stepping foot in his own apartment. His eyes were shadowed, thrown to the side and Aqua chewed her lip, wondering if that was any better than having to look him in the eye._

"_Alright," she managed, wanting to disappear on the spot. That was it. He wanted her to leave—he made it clear enough. "I'm… sorry about…" She trailed off, unsure of how to go on. Sorry for what? Falling asleep on him? She was more than sorry, but the words that came from her mouth were awkward enough._

"_It's no problem," he replied, voice lacking it's usual vim. He sounded rather…resigned. "You got the note right?" His shoulders straightened at that, but by the time Aqua joined him outside the door, his back was to her._

"_I did," she answered._

_Aqua guessed he nodded. No more words passed between them for the rest of that day, or the days that followed._

-x-X-x-

"Do you want us to haunt him too?" Shio repeated the question, referring to Terra instead.

Aqua brushed them off her lap. "Weren't you listening? It was my fault." She sighed heavily, fiddling with the frilled edges of her blue and violet gradiated dress. "What do I do? What do kids, what do people do when things like this happen?

"…I just want to do what anyone but someone like me would do, just for tonight… Just like a normal girl, since that's what he'd like, right?"

"You do what you like, Miss," answered Nami. "But normal girls don't have magical familiars do their hair for them."

Aqua smiled. "Touché." She nudged the mess of hair gathered at the back of her head to make sure it'd stay. "You guys did a good job. I would never manage on my own… A lot of fuss is put into nights like these, huh?"

"Makeup and glitter should be the least of your worries," Shio said. Nami nodded. "Will you bring the keyblade?"

Aqua lifted her right hand, the modified charm dangling from the wrist. "Yeah, I shouldn't lose it like this." She stood up and brushed herself off, studying her dress in the mirror. Kairi had said blue was her color and Aqua told her it was boring… but with time running out and Terra becoming a troubling distraction, she found it hard to care anymore. Silk roses adorned one shoulder and along the rim above her chest. The dress hugged her curves before splitting at her thigh into flowing layers. The last time she wore something like this was during a ball for magicians at the Order, and a stuck up lot they were.

"Do you think the Heartless will behave, just for this one night?"

The goldfish shook their heads. "You can't ask them to do anything, Miss, but we wish you a fun night. We'll work on the barrier. Don't worry and stay safe."

Nami nudged the purse into her hands and both familiars worked together in getting their master through the door. "Trust us to take care of everything, Miss, but be back by the stroke of twelve!"

-x-X-x-

She's dealt with swarms of shadows, monsters, demons and the like, but this was something else entirely.

Her ankles wobbled dangerously as Aqua tried her best to maintain her posture in the growing crowd. The night hadn't even started and there was already the heavy stench of sweat in the air.

"And I still don't know what Homecoming is," Aqua hissed through aching feet.

"Aqua!" Shouted a rather boisterous voice that had no problem cutting through the crowd. Well, that saved her from having to look for anyone else. However, before she could greet her date, said young man shamelessly lifted her off her feet in a bear hug. Aqua found it to be a miracle that she could still stand straight on these stilts for shoes.

"Y-You're going to make me fall—"

"You look awesome!" Zack beamed, flanked by Terra and Axel. "Kairi said this would be your first dance, so I wasn't sure what to expect but I _knew_ you'd pull anything off. And never fear; lucky for you, you have me as a guide and I promise I'll make this night unfor—" Terra and Axel both knocked him across the head.

"You look nice, Aqua," Terra said, eyes meeting hers for the briefest moment. She realized he was trying to chip away at the ice, but the remark only left them both feeling even more awkward than before.

"Thanks," she returned, trying her best to smile. Thankfully, Axel drew her attention away from him.

"He's really excited, as you can tell," the redhead told her. "And don't let Terra get you down—we made him come, but he's gonna stay and make the most outta it, right buddy?"

"I'm leaving first chance I get," Terra grumbled, crossing his arms. He turned his way, trying his best not to look at her. Aqua huffed, instead turning her attention back to the other two if he was going to be like that.

"Well," she started, wanting to draw the conversation away from the brunet, seeing that he wasn't appreciating the attention anymore than she was. "Kairi made me come too. Have you guys seen her?"

Zack threw a thumb over his shoulder. "Yeah, she's with your bro, Sora, and Riku. I don't think Roxas is here y—"

Aqua looked alarmed at that, her clenched hand hidden behind her back. Realizing that the three of them still had their eyes on her, she tried her best to relax her rather rigid posture but the reaction didn't go unnoticed.

Axel and Zack exchanged looks, but Aqua felt Terra focus solely on her. Her neck tingled uncomfortably. "Well, I-I mean, I'm just surprised, that's all. We talked once and I just had the idea, well, that he wasn't going to go." She fiddled with the silk clutch Shio and Nami "conjured" up for her (she made a mental note to herself to talk to those two about kleptomania, but now wasn't the time to be worrying about that) before walking past their expectant gazes. "We don't talk a lot—I mean, that's not important, I—uh, nevermind. I'm going to say hi real quick, excuse me."

Zack looked the most disappointed, but to be fair, Aqua took great care not to let her gaze flicker even the slightest bit in Terra's general direction. "We're not going to take the first dance?"

"Well, it hasn't started yet." Aqua checked her watch for the time before she realized she didn't have one. This whole… charade was going down awfully—and what happened to wanting to enjoy the night? "I won't be gone long, I just want to talk to some people first!"

There was a dry _plop_ as Axel slapped both hands down on Zack's shoulders. "You go on ahead then," he said, "This guy will be right here."

Aqua nodded, the corner of her mouth twitching in gratitude.

-x-X-x-

The night progressed slowly for her and she felt that she was a constant, an observer amidst a sea of life and fervor. She traded only a single glance with Riku and finally decided to trust him rather than muster the courage to approach him and suffer the attention of Kairi.

After rejoining the group, she tried her best to copy their movements, but her whole body only moved awkwardly, hips swaying clumsily. It wasn't long before she snuck away and found herself at the punch table. The dry pastries seemed more unappealing than anything, but she grabbed a miniature éclair anyway to nibble and help calm her nerves. Her head swam—the music was too loud, the lights too bright, and the gymnasium too small to hold this much energy. Frankly, it was overwhelming.

"Do you mind sharing?" Came a voice too unsure of itself. Aqua stepped aside, not sure how to respond when there were several trays laden with puff pastry covered in waxy chocolate.

Terra shambled to the edge of the table, broad shoulders slumping. He stood at a measured distance from her, more determined than anything not to bump elbows. He pretended to search through the array of baked goods before scooping some punch into a cup when Aqua knew he was just as stumped for words as she was. Still, he was the one who approached her, not she, but to her surprise, Terra offered her the cup and she gingerly accepted it, meekly mumbling a small "Thanks." She took a sip and was left wondering if someone wanted to know how many spoonfuls of sugar could dissolve in so much water before turning into a syrup.

A tense minute followed before Terra set down his own cup of sugar water. He sighed heavily, running his fingers through and ruining his combed hair. "I'm… an idiot, aren't I?"

Aqua could laugh as she felt the tension in her chest loosen almost magically. He was the same as ever, and she felt silly to ever think that things had changed between them.

Terra seemed flustered, and amusingly so, as if he could sense the air of relief around her. "I-I'm not done. I'm an idiot, thickheaded, selfish, and dense. I'm stubborn, but indecisive, and I have the eloquence of a slug. I don't know what to say when it matters the most, and I give the people around me the hardest time of their lives because a rock has more emotional intelligence than I do. In the end, I deserve to swim in a volcano, or drown in the ocean, otherwise I'll never learn from my mistakes and continue living my life as Radiant Garden's biggest jerk."

Aqua blinked, almost spilling the punch all over herself. "I… I don't know," she finally said, still rather dumbfounded at the rhetoric, "that was pretty eloquent."

The blush deepened, even under the dim glow of the black light. "Tifa had me memorize it."

That time, she laughed, even if it was only a little bit and barely audible over the earthshaking bass. "So you didn't come up with that yourself? I think you owe me another apology then," she said, quickly shaking her head as Terra opened his mouth. "I'm only kidding… To be honest, the next one… should be mine." She looked away, biting her lip in mild embarrassment. Was this the right time to bring that up again? If Terra had the emotional intelligence of a rock, well, then that was probably more impressive than her social amenities.

For what came next, she could blame her lack of discretion on the atmosphere as she suddenly shouted, "I'm so sorry!"

Terra was quick to steady her hands before she sloshed fruit punch all over herself, but in the rush of the apology, she didn't even notice his too-hot hands enclosing hers.

"I… I really am sorry."

He was puzzled at first, taken aback even, but when he thought he figured out what she was talking about, she viciously shook her head and cut him off.

"It's not about falling asleep on your couch or drinking your coffee. I'm sorry about that too, but this… this is about way more—" more than he'd truly ever know,"—I'm an idiot and a liar." More of a liar than anything else; that was easier to admit out loud than she expected, but what was she supposed to say next? The truth was out of the question, but standing there without completing the confession only perpetuated her status as a two-faced fox that knew only how to deceive and call it different truths. If she thought this through before blurting out to desperately rid herself of the burden, then she probably would've chosen to bite her tongue. It was too late now, however.

"I know." Only when her hands were re-exposed to the chill air did she realize Terra had been holding them through her internal rant. "You told me something like that before, when we were watching over the bay together, and I'll tell you this again: I don't know your whole story, and I'm okay with that. You can run around and do what you do, apologize all you want, it'll all be the same to me. You're Aqua, and some things matter more than others. I feel… all right with you, so don't think that you have to prove anything to me, or us. When you're ready, you're ready and things will be okay then too—I think I can promise that."

That's right, she had forgotten her first date with him, when they shared food together under the birch tree. As she gazed back up at him, she realized that she hardly knew anything more about him than what he knew about her. "It's weird," she said, "how easily we can admit about how little we really know about people. But when it comes to us, we hold onto our secrets like they're nobody's business."

"Because they are nobody's business," Terra replied without hesitating. "But when it bogs you down to the point that it drives you crazy, then things change. Anyways, you're not an idiot, Aqua—" it seemed that he wanted to add more to that, but he only continued, "I want to believe that you won't let it get to that."

The young woman only smiled, the silver teardrop tinkling sadly around her wrist. "Did she ask you to memorize that too?"

Terra stuck out a tongue. "No, I was being honest! And I didn't come here just to get sappy…" He ducked his head to hide the deepening color in his cheeks.

Aqua raised an eyebrow expectantly. "Sappy?"

Terra realized his mistake and quickly backtracked. "I mean, it's good that we got that off our chests—I didn't want to be the one to ruin your night." He rubbed the back of his head shyly. "That being said, I was wondering… well… if—" He grit his teeth, hissing out a curse before continuing, "—if you wanted to share a dance."

Aqua blinked, unsure of what to say for a moment. "I-I don't know how to dance, you saw me."

"No, I don't mean that flailing crap," he said, blushing even harder, "I was thinking that if we wait for a slow song, then maybe I could, I dunno, lead? That way you wouldn't have to do anything so—"

"I'd love to."

Terra stopped in mid sentence. "What?"

Now it was her turn to flush a rosy red. "I said I'd love to—you asked, didn't you?"

"Yeah—I mean, yeah, that's great," he responded awkwardly.

As she thought, things haven't changed a single bit, and maybe she was fine with that. She smiled gently at him, giving him her most genuine gesture that night. It was Zack who had asked her out, and he never failed to give her his attention, but ever since she arrived decked in a flowing dress and heels, Aqua struggled to find a place for herself in the crowd that was much too lively. After dumping their apologies on one another, it _would_ be like Terra to offer her a steady arm, a sturdy branch amidst a river of flashing lights and writhing bodies.

He seemed to have gotten over his embarrassment as he slowly offered a hand, a trace of uncertainty flickering in his eyes. Head swimming, Aqua prepared to take it until—

Pain, sharp and hot shot through her chest as a young girl's voice shrieked deafeningly in her mind.

"_MISS! S-Shio is—!"_

She froze, fingers hovering inches from the young man's open palm. "Terra…" Her eyes refocused, head fighting against the sense of horror threatening to make her scream aloud herself. "…I have to go." Her gaze, watering from the pain, locked with his, and she sensed that he knew enough as he withdrew his hand.

"Go then."

As she turned to leave, he grabbed her by the hand, squeezing tightly only for a split second. "Promise me, just one dance, one day."

"One day then," she sealed the deal, knowing that she was pledging more than just a that, and he let her go free.

-x-X-x-

Aqua ripped off her heels once she made it off the school grounds, her strides turning into mere blurs as she covered miles within minutes.

The cry of her familiar, of only Nami, brought her to a deserted end of town where the older buildings lay. Not far was the maze of alleys or the construction sites that lay beyond, but Aqua had no concern for the scenery… only the two glowing orbs that were mere yards from where she stood, one being much dimmer than the other. As she approached them, the crying within her head only grew louder and louder and Aqua fell to her knees, cupping the limp form of her most loyal servant.

Nami's voice was higher than ever, thin and cracking. "W-we only separated for a few seconds to complete th-the barrier, but Shio, Shio…! Something attacked Shio! She tried to escape, but w-we couldn't hear each other, and—and—!"

"Shio," Aqua whispered softly. The familiar weighed heavily in her hands, just as slimy as any regular goldfish. Her bubble eyes were fixed upon nothing, devoid of any life or emotion.

She shook her gently. "Shio." Again. "Wake up, that's an order."

"Wake up, dummy!" Nami sobbed, twisting her round body in agony. "Miss says wake up!"

But Shio did not wake up. Her unblinking eyes remained lifeless, fins and tail limp as wet cloth. Her soft blue light dimmed further and Aqua felt a cool viscous liquid run down her wrist. Face expressionless, she fumbled for the plastic cup she brought all this way and pressed it to the edge of her palm to catch the running blue. The plastic was crushed and cracked, but Aqua could hardly process what laid before her much less summon a proper replacement out of thin air.

Shio liquefied before their very eyes, her glowing blue remains running neatly into the cup like water from a magical spring described only in fairy tails. Holding the cup to her lips, Aqua fought back a sob as she stared within its depths for any signs of her long-time companion, the half to Nami's whole. No face stared back up at her, no voice soothed or comforted her, and Aqua downed the shapeless form of her soul, nearly choking on it.

It went down cold, like liquid ice, soothing the fresh wound of her heart. With the soul, she swallowed her sadness, the familiar sense of loss that threatened to let loose tears. Nami trembled speechlessly as the cup tumbled from her grasp, and Aqua cradled her in her arms, holding her close as if she were her only child, because she was.

"It's okay," she murmured, feeling far from it. "I'll fix this, but I want you to come back… Just return for now and don't come out until I summon you."

Nami hiccupped as she struggled half-heartedly against her embrace. "I-I can't do that, Miss Aqua. It's too dangerous. No matter what, a servant must protect their master."

"It's the servants' job to obey their master and the master's job to protect their servant." She placed a delicate kiss between the eyes of her remaining familiar. "Please, Nami."

The goldfish's eyes watered again as she nodded with great difficulty, vanishing in a light as dim as their collective depression.

Aqua closed her eyes and slowly stood up, allowing the ominous wind to sift through her hair as she extended her sight throughout the surroundings.

_The rose… has three thorns._

Within the second, one of them hurled its great body towards her, arching red claws extended like many scythes. Neither came close enough to even catch against the shimmering silk of the warrior's dress since a single slender arm pale against the waxing moon held the beast back by the tip of its snout.

The demon snarled, hot breath wreaking of rotting flesh blasting her in the face. It lolled its slender tongue, whipping at her bare arm in vain. Aqua gazed upon it with cold disdain that was uncharacteristic of her usual self. She took a single minute to study the untamed monster as its slobber collected in puddles at her feet. Sinewy muscle twitching, the neck and body of the beast writhed side to side as it struggled to claw at her, to no avail against her unyielding frame despite the difference in size between them.

Satisfied, but disgusted, Aqua recited the first line of its damned fate:

"_Propter iram meam_—" A red glow characteristic of fire engulfed her arm as her words kindled the silent rage within her, "—_Summone ira deorum animo scelus corrigere…_" A tempest whipped around them and snarls turned to whining as the beast struggled to maintain its hold on the earth.

_For the sake of my wrath… summon the rage of gods to correct the crime against my soul. _

With the proper intention, she could end the spell there, and in turn, banish the demon with her will, but she was beyond reason and mercy at this point. Shio was gone, struck down by this savage beast that was unworthy of _anything _beside a custom-tailored curse just for it and its companions.

"_Ignis secare per hoc infidelis bestia—!_" She screamed the final words of her prayer, arm burning from the power surging through it. Flashes of gold and red lit up the square like a bonfire as the roar of flames mixed with the roars of the beast.

The blade of fire vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving behind two halves of the hapless demon. Aqua turned away from the smoking corpse without a second glance, grasping her keychain firmly within a single hand.

Summoning the thought to the forefront of her mind, she pulled the hungry blade from the hand that was its sheath as she sensed the approaching presence of the second.

The monster announced its arrival with an ear-splitting howl before bounding towards her on all fours. It leapt a great distance, soaring over the still smoking body of the first, and fixed its blood red eyes on the awaiting Aqua.

Aqua herself tightened her grip and brandished the keyblade. When those extended claws were a mere foot from her face, she threw herself to the ground and ripped through the underside of the beast, unfazed at the resulting bloodshed. The monster hit the ground in a heap, skidding along the asphalt and leaving its mark.

Gasping for air, Aqua grimaced as she clutched her chest and rolled onto her side. She hadn't healed all the way so it seemed, for her heart ached from both the loss of her familiar and the great deal of power she channeled through her own body for the spell.

_Revenge is so unlike you…_

She spat and shakily forced herself back up again, wiping the katana on the ruffles of her dress—the silk didn't hold the blood well. Either way, it was utterly ruined and there was no returning to the dance—not that she expected to, her job here was unfinished.

Her eyes and ears couldn't make out the third at all, so she dismissed her keyblade and suppressed the turmoil within her being, for now at least. In her solitude, it was easy to make out and track the presence of the last demon. It moved further and further away from her location and Aqua smirked in both bitter amusement and annoyance. The monster, as brutish as it was, was smarter than the first two as it ran away. At the pace it was traveling, not for its life no, but for it to lead Aqua away from here. Perhaps it was because the location was less than favorable (obviously, looking at the remains of the others), but it could run to the ends of the earth and still find no shelter from her ensuing wrath. Aqua was far from giving up chase, especially when she hadn't even started.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Good god this took forever. I apologize deeply for the lack of update in like forever. I thought I'd be freer lately, but college apps and scholarship apps have taken their toll and I'm dying send help.

Hopefully the next chapt won't take so long. This story's been plaguing me for weeks.


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